Addis Ababa — Ethiopian Federal Police (EFP) extradited an alleged human trafficking kingpin from Malawi following a joint international operation involving Interpol and Malawian law enforcement.
The move marks a significant breakthrough in Ethiopia's efforts to dismantle transnational trafficking networks operating across eastern and southern Africa.
The suspect, Adnew Bashaw, was arrested in Malawi and transferred to Ethiopian custody on July 29, 2026, where he will face trial over allegations of orchestrating a large-scale trafficking network accused of exploiting vulnerable Ethiopian migrants through fraud, extortion, torture, and forced smuggling routes toward South Africa.
According to the Ethiopian Federal Police, investigators compiled extensive evidence, including witness testimonies and documentary records, indicating that Adnew and his associates targeted young people in the Central Ethiopia Regional State, particularly in the Hadiya and Kembata zones.
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Promising lucrative employment and a transformed future, the network systematically lured victims into illegal southern migration routes bound for South Africa.
Police records also indicated that the syndicate extorted between 600,000 and 800,000 Birr per victim, requiring an upfront non-refundable deposit of at least 100,000 Birr transferred through local bank accounts prior to departure.
The journey exposed victims to brutal conditions.
Smuggled across the border into Kenya via Moyale, migrants were hidden deep within the Gambo forest, subjected to extreme starvation and dehydration under meager daily rations of rice and bread. Under threat of violence, victims were then forced to cross the arid Chalbi Desert on foot and by motorbike.
Upon reaching Nairobi, migrants were held hostage in cramped, covert safehouses. Traffickers systematically tortured the victims to extort additional ransoms from their families back home. Those unable to pay immediately were beaten, threatened with execution, and subjected to electric shocks, forcing desperate families to deposit extra sums exceeding 100,000 Birr to local proxies in Ethiopia.
From Nairobi, the victims were crammed into cargo containers, trailers, and covered flatbed trucks bound for Mombasa and Tanzania, where many were ultimately abandoned in remote wilderness areas.
Police documentation indicates that the vast majority never reached South Africa. Intercepted by regional law enforcement, victims faced illegal entry charges in transit countries, serving prison sentences of up to three years and paying fines reaching 170,000 Birr before being deported back to Ethiopia.
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Following an exhaustive multi-year intelligence tracking operation launched in 2022/23 alongside Interpol, Malawian law enforcement apprehended Adnew and formally handed him over to Ethiopian authorities on July 29, 2026.
Reaffirming its resolve to dismantle international human trafficking networks, the Ethiopian Federal Police urged the public to maintain active vigilance and report suspicious activities via the EFPApp, emergency line 991, or the SPS platform.
