By Staff Writer
(Nairobi, Kenya) — A joint international law enforcement operation involving the Ethiopian Federal Police (EFP), Malawian authorities, and INTERPOL has resulted in the arrest and extradition of an alleged human trafficking ringleader targeting Ethiopian youth, state-owned Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported.
The suspect, identified as Adnew Bashaw Wudamo, was taken into custody in Malawi and formally handed over to Ethiopian police custody on July 29, 2026. He faces trial in Addis Ababa on charges of fraud, extortion, severe human rights abuses, and forced human smuggling across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Citing official EFP statements and investigative reports, ENA detailed that Adnew and his accomplices systematically targeted vulnerable young residents in the Hadiya and Kembata zones of Central Ethiopia Regional State. The network used promises of lucrative employment in South Africa to entice victims into illegal transit channels.
The syndicate extorted between 600,000 and 800,000 Birr per victim in transit fees, requiring non-refundable upfront deposits paid through local bank accounts prior to departure.
Police documentation outlines brutal conditions endured by victims along the route:
Transit Deprivation: After crossing the border into Kenya via Moyale, migrants were hidden in the Gambo forest and subjected to extreme starvation and minimal rations before being forced across the Chalbi Desert on foot and by motorbike.
Confinement and Ransom Extortion: Upon reaching safehouses in Nairobi, victims were held hostage in cramped single rooms, beaten, and subjected to electric shocks while forced to contact family members for additional money.
Extortion Demands: Relatives were coerced into transferring an additional 100,000 Birr or more to local proxies under threats of physical execution.
Many victims were subsequently abandoned in remote wilderness areas or detained by transit country border guards, serving multi-year prison terms and paying heavy fines before being deported back to Ethiopia.
State media confirmed that federal police and INTERPOL launched joint intelligence tracking operations to dismantle the transnational syndicate.
Following his extradition from Malawi, Adnew remains in federal custody in Addis Ababa pending formal court proceedings. The Ethiopian Federal Police reiterated their call for citizens to report suspected trafficking rings through emergency hotline 991 and digital reporting channels.
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This demon should be charged with murder and lock him up for life. He should never sunlight outside the gates of jail until he dies. We have heard horrible news where numerous young men and women dying from suffocation and starvation while being smuggled by such demons. Lock him up and throw away the keys.