Three Sri Lankans Rescued from Human Trafficking Network in Ethiopia Following CID Investigation

An incident was reported on 27.05.2026 in which three Sri Lankan nationals, who had been promised employment opportunities in Canada by a suspect, were trafficked to Ethiopia and subsequently abducted by an organized foreign criminal group.

Upon receiving the complaint, the Trafficking in Persons, Smuggling Investigation and Maritime Crime Investigation Division of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) immediately launched a comprehensive investigation.

Investigations revealed that the three victims had travelled to Ethiopia via Dubai on the instructions of a suspect residing in the Kilinochchi area, who had fraudulently obtained approximately Rs. 6.4 million from them by promising overseas employment.

Further inquiries established that the same suspect had also collected approximately Rs. 2 million from the victims’ relatives under the pretext of securing their release after the abduction. Investigators further uncovered evidence indicating that the suspect had direct links with the foreign criminal network responsible for the kidnapping. Acting on intelligence, CID officers apprehended the suspect while he was hiding in the Nedunkeni area.

Meanwhile, the CID’s Trafficking in Persons, Smuggling Investigation and Maritime Crime Investigation Division coordinated with the Addis Ababa Police Division in Ethiopia and, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, notified the Ethiopian Embassy regarding the abduction of the three Sri Lankan nationals.

As a result of this coordinated international effort, the Ethiopian authorities successfully rescued the three victims on 06.06.2026. During the rescue operation, four Pakistani nationals and one Ethiopian national were arrested in connection with the incident.

The three rescued victims, aged between 26 and 34, and identified as residents of Jaffna, Vavuniya, and Kilinochchi, were repatriated to Sri Lanka by the Ethiopian authorities on 01.08.2026. Following their arrival, statements were recorded by the CID’s Trafficking in Persons, Smuggling Investigation and Maritime Crime Investigation Division, after which they were referred to the Negombo Judicial Medical Officer for medical examination.

Further investigations are continuing to determine the full extent of the suspect’s involvement with the foreign organized criminal network and to identify any additional individuals connected to the human trafficking operation.