Crime boss Kidane Zekarias Habtemariam is arrested in Sudan on January 1, 2023. INTERPOL

UAE helps arrest world’s most wanted human trafficker

The world’s most wanted human trafficker has been arrested following an international police operation led by the UAE, according to Interpol. Kidane Zekarias Habtemariam, the leader of a criminal organization for human trafficking, was arrested on January 1 in Sudan. He had been on the run since February 2021. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, said Kidane’s arrest follows a 9-month global police operation led by the UAE. Sheikh Saif they also arrested Kidane’s brother, Henok Zekarias, who is wanted for money laundering. Kidane and his brother will now face trial in the UAE. “The UAE conducted a thorough investigation into members of Kidane’s network, including his own brother, who laundered money on his behalf. The illicit financial transactions detected by UAE law enforcement enabled officers to locate Kidane in Sudan,” Sheikh Saif said. Kidane has been wanted for several years for kidnapping, mistreatment and extortion of East African migrants smuggled into Europe. It is estimated that since 2014, Kidane is responsible for having trafficked hundreds of victims. Speaking about the arrest, Brigadier Saeed Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Federal Anti-Narcotics General Directorate of the UAE, said, “The world’s most wanted human trafficker will no longer be able to commit his despicable actions.” “Smuggling and trafficking human beings is an appalling crime, and 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. “We want other smugglers to know that they can no longer hide. The UAE will continue to deploy our full operational capabilities to protect vulnerable communities from this horrific exploitation,” he added. ICA/Expat Media
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