Ethiopian police announced the arrest of 22 suspects accused of trafficking nearly 2,000 people through a vast, deadly criminal network.
Authorities said the sprawling operation earned millions, leaving at least two people dead and several others missing along perilous migration routes.
Ethiopia remains a major departure point for migrants heading toward Europe and the Gulf, drawing traffickers like moths to fragile hope.
Police said the suspects formed organised gangs, promising victims a better life in Europe through journeys routed across conflict-scarred Libya.
Instead, migrants were herded into Libyan warehouses, where fear replaced promise and families were summoned to pay ransoms for freedom.
Victims were effectively held hostage, forced to plead for money while captors tightened control over every breath and movement.
Police said the network earned more than 2.16 billion birr, about $13 million, trafficking roughly 1,800 people across borders.
The operation allegedly caused at least two deaths and 15 disappearances, casting long shadows over families left without answers.
In August, Ethiopian courts sentenced five people to death for human trafficking, though the country has not carried out executions since 2007.
Investigators say the latest arrests signal renewed efforts to dismantle trafficking networks that thrive on desperation and stolen futures.
