Ethiopian federal police Tuesday announced the arrest of 17 individuals who were allegedly involved in trafficking more than 40,000 people to Saudi Arabia through Djibouti and Yemen.
The suspects, allegedly led by a trafficking kingpin named Mohamed Tahir Aden, were also accused of collecting more than one million Birr from victims, and being linked to the deaths of over 60 migrants.
In addition to committing serious crimes, including sexual violence against several women, police also accused the trafficking group of collecting more than 1 billion birr (about $6.19 million) from victims.
Police said investigators established that the group had formed a criminal organisation with the intention of carrying out human trafficking and played a central role in recruiting and transporting migrants from different parts of Ethiopia.
According to the statement, the network recruited victims through brokers operating across multiple regions, promising them employment opportunities and a better life in Saudi Arabia before arranging their movement through eastern Ethiopia into Djibouti and Yemen.
The victims were said to have endured “severe inhumane acts” as soon as they crossed the Ethiopian border, and were illegally detained in warehouses in Yemen.
They were also held hostage as the smugglers demanded large sums of money from their families, while those unable to pay were subjected to torture.
The latest crackdown came as Ethiopia has intensified its anti-trafficking measures in recent years, aiming to dismantle sophisticated human trafficking networks and create economic opportunities for vulnerable segments of the population.
The federal police said the investigation covers allegations of human trafficking, illegal hawala transactions, and money laundering, adding that the completed case file has now been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution.
The Red Sea route, also known as the eastern migration route connecting the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, is the primary human trafficking corridor for thousands of desperate migrants.
The International Organization for Migration classified the corridor as one of “the busiest and most dangerous migration corridors” in the world.
MG/as/APA