Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) announced the arrest of an Eritrean in Sudan, wanted on charges of trafficking in human beings and smuggling thousands of victims, and was extradited to UAE after fighter jet.
Interpol said in a statement that Kidane Zakarias Habib Maryam, “notorious”, is wanted for leading a major criminal organization responsible for kidnapping, extorting and killing migrants from East Africa.
UAE Interior Minister Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan said via his Twitter account that the process of chasing and arresting Kidan lasted 9 months.
Kidane, 39, has been on Interpol’s radar since 2019 and was arrested after intelligence was shared through “extensive cooperation” between several countries and organizations.
Interpol said intelligence enabled the UAE to find Zakarias in Sudan after identifying family members and money laundering activities.
Dutch prosecutors said Kidane had previously been detained in Ethiopia, but managed to escape during the hearings and was subsequently sentenced to life in prison for human trafficking.
The UAE Interior Ministry posted a video clip on Twitter on Thursday showing the arrest process and said that Kidan’s brother was also arrested in the UAE with other people accused of money laundering. The video shows a large amount of money, said to have been found with the wanted men.
The video shows blurred footage of a man who was arrested, said to be Kidan, after he was handed over and arrived in the UAE. The Dutch prosecutor said the Netherlands would request his extradition.
“Kidan’s location and arrest will deal a major blow to a major smuggling route to Europe and protect thousands more from exploitation at the hands of the crime syndicate,” Interpol said.
