Kidane Zekhariyas Habtemariam, 41, an Eritrean national wanted for human trafficking and organised crime, has been extradited from the United Arab Emirates to the Netherlands, the Dutch prosecutor’s office confirmed.

Kidane, who escaped a trial in Ethiopia five years ago, was escorted by Dutch military police to Amsterdam, where he will face charges including migrant smuggling, kidnapping, extortion, physical assault, and sexual assault.

The case is closely linked to another high-profile defendant, Goytom, an Eritrean-born man currently on trial in the Netherlands. Prosecutors have requested a 20-year prison sentence for Goytom, while his legal team plans to call Kidane as a witness.

Authorities have described the trial as one of the largest human trafficking cases in history, with alleged offences spanning from 2014 to 2020. The investigation involves multiple jurisdictions and international agencies, including Italy, Europol, Interpol, and the International Criminal Court, reflecting the transnational scope of the network.

Observers note that the case highlights the challenges of combating migrant smuggling and organised crime across borders, and underscores the increasingly coordinated role of European and international law enforcement in addressing large-scale human trafficking operations linked to the Horn of Africa.