Ethiopian authorities have dismantled a major human trafficking network accused of causing the deaths of more than 100 migrants. The operation followed a years-long investigation into a criminal syndicate operating across East Africa. Authorities say the arrests mark a significant breakthrough. However, they also warned that many suspects remain at large as investigations continue.
Violence, torture and exploitation revealed
According to officials, the recently exposed trafficking network was transnational and highly organized. Recruiting victims from multiple countries, including Ethiopia, Sudan and Eritrea, they then moved them along dangerous migration routes to Libya.
Experts involved in the case told Info Migrants:
Once the migrants found themselves stuck in Libya, the would-be migrants ‘were held hostage in warehouses’ by the ruthless group of traffickers who, according to police statements, would demand ‘large sums of money’ from their families — just to be spared from various methods of torture.
The group is believed to have trafficked more than 3,000 people since 2018, targeting young migrants seeking to reach Europe. Overall, investigators linked the network to more than 100 deaths. Many of these occurred during detention or along the journey north toward the Mediterranean.
Inhumane acts and loss of life
Survivors interviewed as part of the investigation painted a horrific and brutal picture of how the network operated. While detained in warehouses and makeshift prisons, victims were subjected to extreme violence. Some were beaten, chained, or starved, while others were tortured to force their families to pay ransoms. Women faced additional risks. And authorities say at least 50 women were sexually assaulted while in captivity.
Authorities reported:
Inhuman acts committed caused the loss of many lives, as well as serious physical (…) and severe psychological trauma. Those whose relatives did not pay up would only be given ‘one meagre meal a day, were beaten and whipped with rubber or electrical cables, and had their hands and feet chained’
Financial investigations suggest the operation generated millions of dollars, underscoring the scale of the criminal ehttps://www.freedomunited.org/news/eu-libya-trafficking-profit/nterprise. One police statement described the operations as part of a recent pattern. A pattern of migrants being trafficked, held hostage and abused until payments are made. And those who cannot pay facing escalating violence — and in some cases, death.
A wider system of exploitation- but you can helphttps://www.freedomunited.org/news/secret-underground-prison-in-libya/
In this case, police arrested the alleged ringleader along with several accomplices. However, the case highlights the broader risks facing migrants along East African routes. With Libya remaining a key transit hub, where trafficking networks often operate with impunity. These networks are profiting from desperation. Migrants are frequently promised safe passage to Europe, only to be trapped in cycles of exploitation, extortion and abuse.
Despite the grave mistreatment of migrants in Libya, the EU and its Member States continue to support this exploitative detention system by providing financial and technical support to the Libyan authorities. Stand with Freedom United and add your name to our petition calling on the EU to stop supporting modern slavery in Libya. Act now and sign the petition.
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