Mogadishu (Kaab TV) — Ethiopian police have arrested a man accused of leading a multimillion-dollar human trafficking network that allegedly smuggled thousands of migrants, including Somalis, to Libya over several years, where many were subjected to torture, abuse, and detention.
Federal police identified the suspect as Yetbarek Dawit, who is believed to have coordinated a cross-border criminal network that transported more than 3,000 people from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Sudan to Libya since 2018.
He was arrested in the northern town of Shire in Ethiopia’s Tigray region along with nine alleged associates. He has not yet been formally charged in court.
Police allege that Dawit operated five detention centers in Libya, where migrants were held and abused in order to extort additional payments from their families. Investigators say the network is linked to the deaths of more than 100 people and the sexual abuse of at least 50 women.
According to authorities, detainees were forced to contact relatives and demand ransom payments. Those unable to pay were reportedly subjected to severe mistreatment, including beatings with rubber strips and electric cables, shackling, and starvation.
Some victims also reported having molten plastic poured onto their bodies. Women were allegedly sexually assaulted, resulting in long-term physical and psychological harm.
The arrests followed a complex cross-border investigation involving the Regional Operational Centre, an EU-funded initiative targeting trafficking networks in East Africa. Testimonies from more than 100 victims and relatives across Ethiopia, Libya, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Canada contributed to the investigation.
Police said Dawit was known internationally and used multiple aliases, including “Adhanom” in Sudan, “Ahmed” in Djibouti and Somalia, “Munir” in Kenya, and “Kibrom” in Sweden and other European countries. Authorities said advanced surveillance and financial tracking tools helped identify and locate him. Bank accounts linked to the network have been frozen, and assets have been confiscated.
Investigators estimate the group generated more than $19 million from its operations.
Thousands of Somali migrants remain stranded in Libya, facing grave risks along the Central Mediterranean migration route, one of the world’s most dangerous migration corridors. Migrants attempting to reach Europe often encounter trafficking networks, armed groups, and detention facilities where abuse is widespread.
The suspects were transferred to Addis Ababa earlier this week for further investigation.
In April 2025, Somalia’s Banadir Regional Court in Banadir Regional Court sentenced six individuals convicted of running a human trafficking operation.
Two defendants received two-year prison terms and were ordered to compensate families of four women who died during the trafficking process. Four others received six-month sentences for their involvement.
Authorities across the Horn of Africa continue to face mounting pressure to address irregular migration and dismantle criminal networks that exploit vulnerable migrants seeking passage to Europe.