Addis Ababa, July 21, 2026 (FMC) — The Ethiopian Federal Police announced that it has forwarded to the Ministry of Justice the investigation file of 17 suspected members of an organized human trafficking network accused of smuggling more than 40,000 Ethiopians to Saudi Arabia through Djibouti and Yemen, illegally collecting over one billion birr from victims and committing a series of serious crimes.
The police said the suspects, allegedly led by Mohamed Tahir Aden, also known as “Werdi,” operated a large-scale trafficking network that recruited victims from different parts of Ethiopia and facilitated their illegal movement abroad through coordinated criminal activities.
According to the Federal Police, the investigation, supported by human and documentary evidence, established that the suspects had formed an organized criminal group dedicated to human trafficking and had played key roles in carrying out the illegal operation.
The police said the network used brokers in various parts of the country to identify and recruit victims by making false promises of reaching Saudi Arabia through Yemen and securing better living conditions there.
The investigation found that after crossing Ethiopia’s eastern border, victims were transported to Yemen and confined in warehouses allegedly prepared for that purpose, where they were subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse.
The Federal Police said the suspects held victims hostage and demanded large sums of money from their families. Investigators found that the traffickers allegedly beat and tortured victims, recorded the abuse, and sent the footage to relatives as a means of exerting pressure, particularly on families unable to meet ransom demands.
The police said the investigation was conducted in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, the National Intelligence and Security Service, and other relevant stakeholders, uncovering extensive evidence regarding the activities of the criminal network.
According to the investigation findings released by the Federal Police, the suspects are alleged to have illegally obtained more than one billion birr from victims, trafficked over 40,000 people, caused the deaths of more than 60 individuals, and committed sexual violence against several women.
The police said testimonies from several witnesses have been collected as part of the investigation, including live video statements from individuals in Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia.
Investigators also found that the suspects allegedly used proceeds obtained from the trafficking operation to acquire movable and immovable properties both inside and outside Ethiopia. The Federal Police said it has frozen assets linked to the suspects, including a house, vehicles and money held under their names.
The Ethiopian Federal Police said it has completed its investigation into alleged crimes including human trafficking, illegal money transfers and money laundering, and has submitted the case file to the Ministry of Justice for further legal action.
The police expressed appreciation to individuals and institutions that contributed to the arrest of the suspects and called on the public to continue supporting efforts against human trafficking by providing information through the EFPApp Citizen Participation Application, the toll-free hotline 991, and the Unmanned Police Station (SPS).