Notorious Eritrean human trafficker arrested in Sudan; Netherlands seeking extradition

The notorious people smuggler, Kidane Zekarias Habtemariam from Eritrea, has been arrested in Sudan. He was wanted for large-scale human trafficking of people from Eritrea to Europe. The Public Prosecution Service announced that the Netherlands will request his extradition.

The 39-year-old man had been on the National Investigation List since October. He was apprehended on January 1 during an international police operation led by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who tracked him down in a money laundering investigation. He is now imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates.

In the Netherlands, the man is the main suspect in an investigation into an extremely violent criminal organization that mainly smuggles African migrants to Europe. He is described on the national wanted list as "one of the most notorious and cruelest human traffickers in the world."

Kidane was the head of a camp in Libya that housed thousands of migrants. His victims had to deal with aggravated assault, kidnapping, rape, and other violent crimes. Many did not survive the journey to Europe and even if his victims did arrive in the Netherlands, he would then extort his victims by making them pay money to ensure the survival of the next family member who was on their way to Europe.

The man was previously detained in Ethiopia, but managed to escape during a hearing ahead of his trial in 2021. In absentia, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in Ethiopia for human trafficking in Africa. The Netherlands wants to prosecute Kidane for criminal offenses for which he has not yet faced trial in Ethiopia.

A suspect who worked with Kidane was extradited from Ethiopia to the Netherlands in October. He will stand trial on Tuesday at a first introductory session at the Overijssel court.