Ethiopian police have arrested 17 individuals, including the suspected head of an alleged international human trafficking organization reportedly responsible for the deaths of 60 migrants. Accusations also include sexual abuse of women and torture of Ethiopian migrants in Yemen, along with collecting over 1 billion Ethiopian birr ($6.1 million; £4.6 million) from victims.
The operation targets a group accused of orchestrating the transport of more than 40,000 Ethiopians to Saudi Arabia via Djibouti and Yemen. Authorities state the network allegedly maintained detention facilities in Yemen, where they reportedly subjected migrants to torture and filmed the abuse to extort funds from families in Ethiopia.
Suspected ringleader Mohammed Tahir, known by the alias “Wordi,” and his alleged accomplices have not yet appeared in court or responded to the charges. Ethiopian authorities released photographs of the detainees on Tuesday, publishing them on the police force’s official Facebook page.
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