Ethiopian police arrest two for alleged trafficking of 105 citizens in Dubai job scam

Ethiopian police arrest two for alleged trafficking of 105 citizens in Dubai job scam
Ethiopian police arrest two for alleged trafficking of 105 citizens in Dubai job scam - The two suspects accused in the alleged Ethiopia-Dubai trafficking case are escorted by police officers after their arrest. (Photo: Ethiopian Federal Police)
The two suspects accused in the alleged Ethiopia-Dubai trafficking case are escorted by police officers after their arrest. (Photo: Ethiopian Federal Police)

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Authorities allege that the two suspects recruited 105 Ethiopians from different parts of the country and collected more than 188 million birr (approx. Sh150.6 million) from the victims.

Ethiopian authorities have arrested two men accused of running a cross-border human trafficking network that allegedly lured more than 100 Ethiopians to Dubai with false job promises.
According to the Ethiopian Federal Police (EFP), Dawud Teferi Legesse and Desta Tegel Abegaz were arrested in Dubai with the cooperation of Dubai Police and transferred to Ethiopia as part of an investigation into a suspected trafficking operation targeting citizens seeking employment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Authorities allege that the two suspects recruited 105 Ethiopians from different parts of the country and collected more than 188 million birr (approx. Sh150.6 million) from the victims.

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The suspects reportedly collected between 320,000 (Sh256,334) and 600,000 birr (Sh480,626) from each person.
According to the EFP, the group operated by connecting recruiters inside Ethiopia with associates in Dubai. Victims were duped and sent to the Gulf city on tourist visas instead of legal employment permits.
Once the victims arrived in Dubai, they were allegedly taken to a holding facility where they were confined and prevented from leaving.

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According to the EFP, men and women were held together, denied food and subjected to severe mistreatment. Authorities also claimed that some women were sexually assaulted during their confinement.
The suspects later demanded additional payments from victims after their two-month tourist visas expired, allegedly threatening them with deportation if they failed to pay.  Victims were reportedly told they would receive two-year residence permits if they made further payments.
The investigation has since expanded, with police announcing the arrest of two additional suspects, Buzayehu Awgachew Be Hailu and Rahmet Abebe Eshete. The two are accused of helping collect money from recruits and coordinating financial activities linked to the alleged trafficking network.
“The police are investigating this complex cross-border crime and are receiving testimonies from the victims,” the EFP said in a statement.
It subsequently warned Ethiopian citizens to be wary of recruitment agencies that use legal licenses as a cover for illegal activities and urged citizens to exercise caution when seeking employment opportunities abroad.

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