The Ethiopian Federal Police, in collaboration with Dubai Police of the United Arab Emirates, announced that it has apprehended two dangerous illegal human traffickers, Dawud Teferi Legesse and Desta Tegegn Abegaz, who had been hiding abroad while committing inhumane acts against numerous Ethiopian citizens.
The two principal suspects allegedly used various fraudulent methods to illegally transport 105 Ethiopian citizens to Dubai, collecting more than 188 million birr from the victims and committing serious human rights violations against many of them. The Ethiopian Federal Police, in cooperation with Dubai Police, arrested the suspects and secured their extradition to Ethiopia.
Following information received through the Ethiopian Embassy in Dubai, the Ethiopian Federal Police confirmed that the suspects had been based in Dubai while recruiting young people through accomplices in Ethiopia, transporting them to Dubai, detaining them in designated holding locations, and committing serious crimes, including assault and torture, particularly against women.
After conducting an investigation, the Ethiopian Federal Police obtained court-issued arrest warrants against Dawud Teferi Legesse, Desta Tegegn Abegaz, and their accomplices, who had been committing the crimes in a coordinated manner both inside and outside Ethiopia. Working jointly with Dubai Police, the suspects were arrested and extradited to Ethiopia on July 17, 2026.
The suspects had no legal license authorizing them to send people abroad. By establishing links between groups operating inside Ethiopia and those abroad, they falsely promised employment in various companies and, since 2022 (E.C. 2015), recruited numerous citizens from different parts of Ethiopia. Through false information and misleading promises, they collected between 320,000 and 600,000 birr from each victim, arranged fraudulent tourist visas, and received payments through bank accounts opened by their accomplices in Ethiopia in Ethiopian birr, UAE dirhams, and Saudi riyals.
According to the police, after victims paid the required money and arrived in Dubai, they were forced into manual labor. They were further compelled to pay additional money labeled as “commission,” and when their two-month tourist visas expired, they were told, “We will provide you with a two-year residence permit; if you do not pay, you will be returned to Ethiopia,” forcing each victim to pay 1,200 UAE dirhams and subjecting them to severe abuse and suffering.
The police further stated that after receiving the victims at Dubai Airport, the suspects took them to locations where people were confined, crowded numerous men and women into a single room, provided only one meal of plain rice every eight days, exposing them to severe hunger and hardship, and subjected female victims to sexual violence.
The Ethiopian Federal Police also arrested two additional suspects within Ethiopia, namely Bizuayehu Awgchew Behailu and Rahmet Abebe Eshete, who had allegedly been recruiting victims, collecting money through bank accounts, and acting under instructions from their accomplices in Dubai. The investigation is continuing extensively.
The police stated that it is employing modern technologies to investigate this complex transnational crime and is receiving virtual witness testimonies directly from victims currently in Dubai who suffered severe abuse through these suspects.
The police further confirmed that certain agencies, operating under the cover of legal licenses, had collaborated with illegal traffickers and committed unlawful acts involving serious inhumane treatment of Ethiopian citizens. Investigations into these entities will continue.
The Ethiopian Federal Police stated that, in cooperation with Dubai Police and the Ethiopian Embassy in Dubai, it remains committed to identifying all individuals involved in these crimes. It expressed its gratitude to all parties who assisted in bringing the traffickers and their accomplices into custody and called upon the public to continue supporting law enforcement by providing information through the Citizens’ Participation Application (EFPApp), the toll-free hotline 991, and the Smart Police Station (SPS).
