Ethiopian federal police have arrested ten individuals — including an alleged international human trafficking kingpin — in a major sting operation targeting a criminal network responsible for smuggling and exploiting more than 3,000 people, many of whom were subjected to torture, rape, and in dozens of cases, killed. The operation, conducted with support from Project ROCK, an EU-funded Interpol initiative, marks one of the largest human trafficking busts in the country’s history.
Those arrested include Yitbarek Dawit, described by police as a “dangerous international human trafficker” and nine of his accomplices. The network recruited young men and women from Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya, and Somalia, exploiting their dreams of reaching Europe by funneling them through Libya.
A Multi-Million Dollar Operation
According to the Ethiopian Federal Police, the network had been operating since at least 2018, gradually building a sophisticated operation that stretched from the Horn of Africa to North Africa. Victims were recruited with promises of safe passage and employment opportunities abroad. Once they reached Libya, however, the promises evaporated.
The network maintained at least five warehouses in Libya where victims were held hostage. Their families were then contacted and told to pay ransoms — often running into thousands of dollars — in exchange for their release. Those whose families could not afford to pay faced unspeakable conditions.
Police said victims were given only one meagre meal a day. They were beaten, whipped with rubber or electric cables, and had their hands and feet chained. Some were burned with plastic water bottles. Women held in captivity were raped. Many did not survive the torture.
Over 100 Killed, 50 Women Raped
The scale of abuse documented by investigators is staggering. In a statement, police said the network had killed more than 100 people and raped more than 50 women over the course of its operation. The official figure is almost certainly a minimum, given the underground nature of the trade.
During the multi-year investigation, more than 100 victims and family members were interviewed. Investigators estimated that approximately 0 million passed through its operations — money that went to pay bribes, maintain the warehouses, and enrich the trafficker and his associates.
Ten suspects — seven men and three women — were arrested in connection with the network. Ethiopian authorities say they are now working with international partners to locate additional suspects believed to be operating abroad.
Sources: Africanews, AFP, Ethiopian Federal Police statement, Project ROCK/Interpol.