London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

World’s ‘most wanted people smuggler’ arrested in Sudan

World’s ‘most wanted people smuggler’ arrested in Sudan

UAE says it played key role in operation to detain Eritrean national Kidane Zekarias Habtemariam, wanted by Interpol.

An Eritrean fugitive accused of being “the world’s most wanted” people smuggler has been arrested in Sudan in coordination with UAE authorities, Interpol announced.

Kidane Zekarias Habtemariam has been accused of being a smuggling kingpin, running a camp in Libya where hundreds of East African migrants seeking passage to Europe were allegedly kidnapped, raped and extorted.

Habtemariam, the subject of two Interpol red notices by Ethiopia and the Netherlands, was arrested on January 1 by Sudanese police in coordination with UAE authorities, UAE interior ministry official Saeed Abdullah al-Suwaidi told reporters on Thursday.

The Eritrean, on Interpol’s radar since 2019, earned a reputation for “particularly cruel and violent treatment of migrants”, Interpol said.



“We have now shut down one of the most important trafficking routes into Europe, which illegally moved thousands of migrants from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan, through Libya and into Europe,” al-Suwaidi said in a statement.

Habtemariam’s arrest followed a joint UAE and Interpol investigation, beginning last year, that tracked illicit financial transactions made by his brother, according to al-Suwaidi.

The Eritrean will now face trial in the UAE for money laundering, and authorities will review the possibility of his extradition after the case is closed in the UAE, Suwaidi added.

Habtemariam was arrested in Ethiopia in 2020 but escaped custody after one year, and was later sentenced in absentia to life in prison.

He operated warehouses including in the Libyan town of Bani Walid and was known for extorting and torturing victims.


‘Horrific exploitation’


Habtemariam had worked with another infamous human smuggler, Tewelde Goitom, who was notorious for the number of captive women he allegedly raped, according to victims Al Jazeera previously spoke to.

Habtemariam’s arrest will deal “a significant blow to a major smuggling route towards Europe and protect thousands more from being exploited at the hands of the crime group”, Interpol said.

Al-Suwaidi said the arrest was “just the beginning” of hunting down the rest of Habtemariam’s network, and the UAE is discussing with Interpol the possibility of launching another investigation into a major human trafficker.

“The UAE will continue to deploy our full operational capabilities to protect vulnerable communities from this horrific exploitation,” he said.

Stephen Kavanagh, a director at Interpol, said Habtemariam was the “most wanted” criminal including in Ethiopia and the Netherlands.

The arrest “is a testament to the Interpol network, and what can be achieved when countries work together”, Kavanagh said, thanking Ethiopia, the Netherlands, the UAE and Sudan for playing a “crucial role”.

The body said more arrests are expected as part of continuing investigations, and as coordination continues with several member states.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
South Korea's Brief Declaration of Martial Law
Unidentified Drones Spotted Over UK Airbases
Israel Offers $5 Million for Each Gaza Hostage Freed
"We Need A British Trump"- Former Prime Minister Elizabeth Truss
Make Orwell fiction again
CIA Official Arrested for Leaking Intelligence on Israel-Iran Conflict
Special counsel Jack Smith asks the court to dismiss his appeal regarding Trump in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.
BORIS: UK May Deploy Troops If Trump Cuts Support to Ukraine
Trump Administration Taking Shape: No Invitations Issued to Nikki Haley or Mike Pompeo
Iranian Man Charged in Plot to Assassinate Donald Trump
£3 Billion of British Taxpayer Money Spent by UK Government on Hotel Costs for Migrants
Unlike the shock and profound sadness at 10 Downing Street, British citizens assembled for an impressive rally backing the elected President of the United States, Donald Trump.
Elon Musk Predicts Justin Trudeau's Electoral Defeat
Here's why: Scott Presley convinced swing voters in Pennsylvania with a clear and direct question.
Royal Estates Earning Millions from Public Services and Charities
Siemens Acquires Altair Engineering in $10.6 Billion Deal
The man who got hit by a bus and immediately went back to the pub is strong! Beer is very important.
Donald Trump files $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News, accusing them of 'deceptively doctoring' Kamala Harris' '60 Minutes' interview
Formal Address for Meghan Markle at Invictus Games
Understanding the US Electoral College System
Apple Launches AI Features on Select iPhones
JP Morgan Sued Customers Over Viral Cheque Fraud Scheme
King Charles to Continue Global Tours Despite Cancer Diagnosis
Venice Extends Tourist Entry Fee Program to 2025
Tommy Robinson Charged Under Terrorism Act for Phone Offence
Plans to Increase Employers' National Insurance Announced
Washington Post Editor-at-Large Robert Kagan has RESIGNED after owner Jeff Bezos BARRED the endorsement of Kamala Harris.
Massive Theft of Artisan Cheddar from Neal’s Yard Dairy
US Man Charged with Murder of Co-Worker over Breaks
Carbon Monoxide Incident Claims Lives at UK Care Home
Birmingham Airport Evacuated Due to Suspicious Vehicle
Former US President Barack Obama raps the lyrics to Eminem's ‘Lose Yourself’ after the rapper introduces him at a Kamala Harris rally in Detroit
KYIV URGES NORTH KOREAN TROOPS IN UKRAINE TO SURRENDER
Ofcom Identifies Link Between Social Media Posts and UK Unrest
Russian Boxer Receives Lifetime Ban for Illegal Move in Boxing Debut
Biden Labels Trump a Threat to Democracy
McDonald's Linked to E. coli Outbreak Leading to One Death
Teacher Enoch Burke arrested at Wilson’s Hospital School in Ireland after refusing to endorse and affirm transgender ideology.
FBI Investigates Leak of US Intelligence on Israeli Strike Plans
Israeli Airstrike Targets Hezbollah's Financial Resources
China’s Baidu is revolutionizing transportation with its robotaxi service
Angela Rayner Secures Permanent Seat on UK National Security Council
Russian Ambassador Claims UK's Proxy War in Ukraine
Doctor Advocates for Assisted Dying Law Reform
Ruth Davis Appointed as UK’s First Nature Envoy
Pressure Mounts on Starmer to Discuss Reparations at Commonwealth Summit
James Cleverly’s Costly In-Flight Catering for Government Trips
AI Regulation Takes Center Stage in 2024 US Presidential Campaign
NASA Study Explores Potential Microbial Life Beneath Mars' Ice
Cats: The Liquid-Like Pets
×