Mogadishu (HOL) Ethiopian authorities have detained an individual suspected of heading a lucrative human trafficking operation that moved numerous migrants, including Somalis, to Libya across several years, with many experiencing torture and mistreatment during their detention.
Federal police identified the suspect as Yetbarek Dawit, who organized a transnational scheme that moved over 3,000 individuals from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan to Libya since 2018. He was apprehended in the northern town of Shire in the Tigray region alongside nine alleged accomplices.
No formal charges have been filed against him in court at this time.
Authorities claim that Yetbarek maintained five detention facilities in Libya, where migrants were confined and mistreated to extract further payments from their families. Investigators attribute the network to the deaths of over 100 individuals and the sexual assault of at least 50 women.
According to official reports, detainees were compelled to contact family members and request money payments. Those unable to settle the debts allegedly faced brutal treatment, including beatings with rubber strips and electrical cords, being shackled, and denied food. Some victims claimed molten plastic was poured on their bodies. Women were reportedly sexually violated and sustained enduring physical and mental injuries.
The apprehension concluded an intricate multinational investigation involving the Regional Operational Centre (ROC), an EU-supported initiative targeting trafficking networks in East Africa. Accounts from over 100 victims and family members in Ethiopia, Libya, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada provided crucial information for the investigation.
Police stated that Yetbarek had international recognition and utilized various aliases, such as “Adhanom” in Sudan, “Ahmed” in Djibouti and Somalia, “Munir” in Kenya and “Kibrom” in Sweden and other European nations. Officials employed sophisticated monitoring and financial tracking methods to identify and locate him. Financial accounts associated with the operation have been frozen and property seized.
Investigators calculate that the organization generated approximately $19 million from its activities.
Thousands of Somali migrants continue to be stranded in Libya, confronting significant dangers along the Central Mediterranean migration path, recognized as one of the globe’s most hazardous routes. Those seeking to reach Europe frequently encounter trafficking operations, armed factions, and detention centers where mistreatment is common.
The accused individuals were relocated to Addis Ababa earlier this week for additional investigation.
In April 2025, Somalia’s Banadir Regional Court sentenced six individuals found guilty of operating a trafficking operation. Two defendants received two-year prison sentences and were instructed to provide compensation to families of four women who perished during the smuggling process. Four others received six-month prison terms for their participation in the venture.
Officials in the Horn of Africa are under increasing pressure to manage irregular migration and dismantle criminal enterprises that prey on vulnerable individuals attempting to journey to Europe.