Ethiopian Police Bust Human Trafficking Network Involving 3,000 Migrants, 100 Dead

Mintesinot Nigussie

Ethiopian Federal Police said it has arrested a suspected human trafficking ringleader and nine associates accused of smuggling more than 3,000 people across borders. The case involves widespread abuse, sexual violence and over 100 deaths. The main suspect, identified as Yitbarek Dawit Alemu, was detained in Shire town in the Tigray region.

The group operated across multiple countries, recruiting migrants from Ethiopia and neighbouring states including Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya and Somalia before transporting them to Libya. Victims were held in detention facilities where they were subjected to severe abuse, including beatings, starvation and extortion.

Investigators said those unable to pay ransom demands were tortured, while women were subjected to sexual violence. Police linked the network to at least five detention sites in Libya where migrants were held under inhumane conditions. The suspects are accused of generating more than three billion birr through the trafficking operation.

Authorities said financial assets linked to the group have been identified and frozen through court orders. Police used digital surveillance tools and cross-border intelligence sharing to track the network, identifying more than 70 individuals connected to the operation across several countries.

Statements were collected from more than 100 victims and family members both inside Ethiopia and abroad, with additional testimonies gathered from survivors in Europe and North America. The investigation has been completed and the case has been transferred to prosecutors.

The bust represents a major breakthrough in Ethiopia’s efforts to combat human trafficking networks operating in the Horn of Africa.

Businesses and humanitarian organisations working in migration corridors are expected to benefit from improved security and reduced criminal activity along key routes.

The operation highlights the importance of regional and international cooperation in dismantling large-scale trafficking networks that exploit vulnerable migrants.

Overall, the arrests send a strong message that Ethiopia is intensifying its crackdown on human trafficking and protecting its citizens and migrants passing through its territory.