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The ‘world’s most wanted’ people smuggler has been arrested in Sudan. The United Arab Emirates says it played a key role in operations to detain the infamous Kidane Zekarias Habtemariam.
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Kidane’s arrest will interrupt a major people trafficking route to Europe, according to the Emirati Ministry of Interior. The Eritrean national has been wanted by Interpol and is accused of running a camp in Libya. Here, hundreds of African migrants – seeking passage to Europe – were allegedy kidnapped, raped and extorted.
“Firstly, we intend to try him in the United Arab Emirates for money laundering. We have ten people detained in the UAE in relation to the case,” said Major Hamad Khatir, Director of the UAE’s Ministry of Interior International Operations Department. “When the prosecution has completed its work and there is a final judgement, we can proceed with charges elsewhere.”
Kidane’s Atrocious Crime-Line
Kidane was arrested in February 2020 after one of his victims identified him on the street. He, however, escaped from custody a year later by walking out of the courthouse during his trial.
Back in October 2021, teams from the Netherlands and Europol set to find the then 38-year-old Kidane. “His victims are subjected to severe beatings, kidnapping, rape, and… unlawful deprivation of liberty. Many do not survive the journey to Europe,” the Netherlands commented following his addition to the country’s most-wanted list.
In June 2022, an Ethiopian court sentenced Kidane to absentia to life in prison. The ruling was for torturing and starving migrants to death.
A list of atrocities
His victims call him a ‘savage’ and a ‘monster‘. Eyewitness testimonies accuse Kidane of various atrocities. A story accuses Kidane of organising football matches between hostages. Awarding winning teams with female hostages to rape, and shooting players who missed to score.
Other testimonies describe how victims were tortured by having melted plastic poured over the bodies.
Found in Sudan
Authorities found Kidane in Sudan. Investigations by the UAE and Interpol identified illicit financial transactions that revealed his location. Kidane used fake identities to travel across Africa. According to the Executive Director of Interpol Police Services, Stephen Kavanagh, he continued to move freely without a concern for the law. He added that the taskforce created to arrest him would continue to target Kidane’s network.
Kavanagh added that the taskforce created to arrest him would continue to target Kidane’s network, “this is much more than one individual, this is about the network around him that uses women, children and innocent individuals as a commodity.”
The Director General of the UAE’s Federal Anti-Narcotics Department, Brigadier Saeed Abdullah al-Suwaidi offered thanks to the powers who brought about the historic arrest, “thanks to the professionalism and dedication of our police officers, the world’s most wanted human trafficker will no longer be able to commit his despicable actions.”
zahraa@smile904.fm
SOURCES – MIDDLE EAST EYE, AL JAZEERA NEWS AGENCY, THE TELEGRAPH
