ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopian police have announced the arrest of 17 suspects, including the alleged leader of an international human trafficking network accused of smuggling more than 40,000 Ethiopians to Saudi Arabia through Djibouti and Yemen.
Authorities said the network allegedly operated detention centres in Yemen where migrants were reportedly subjected to torture and abuse. Some victims were allegedly filmed during mistreatment in order to pressure their families into paying ransom demands.
The group is also accused of sexually abusing women, contributing to the deaths of at least 60 migrants, and collecting more than $6 million from victims through exploitation and illegal migration operations.
The trafficking route across the Red Sea, commonly known as the Eastern Migration Route linking the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, remains one of the world’s busiest and most dangerous migration corridors.
Thousands of migrants from Ethiopia and other parts of the region continue to attempt the journey in search of economic opportunities, despite facing risks including trafficking, kidnapping, violence, and death at sea.
Authorities say the arrests mark a major step in efforts to dismantle cross-border trafficking networks and protect vulnerable migrants.
