A man from Kilinochchi has been arrested in connection with a human trafficking case in which three Sri Lankans were lured to Ethiopia with false promises of Canadian employment, held for ransom, and later rescued by Ethiopian authorities.
The Criminal Investigation Department has apprehended a suspect linked to the kidnapping and trafficking of three Sri Lankan nationals who were deceived into travelling to Ethiopia under the pretense of secure employment opportunities abroad. The victims, aged between 26 and 34 and from the northern districts of Jaffna, Vavuniya, and Kilinochchi, initially paid approximately Rs. 64 lakhs to the suspect for overseas job placements.
According to the CID's investigation, the case originated after the victims were allegedly abducted in Ethiopia by an organized criminal network following their arrival through Dubai. The suspect, based in Kilinochchi, subsequently demanded a substantial ransom from the victims' families, collecting around Rs. 20 million under the claim that the funds were necessary to secure their release. Investigators determined that the suspect maintained direct links with the foreign criminal group responsible for the abduction.
Coordinated efforts between Sri Lankan authorities and Ethiopian police resulted in the rescue of all three victims on June 6. During the operation, Ethiopian law enforcement arrested four Pakistani nationals and one Ethiopian national implicated in the kidnapping. The three Sri Lankans were repatriated to their home country on August 1, while the primary suspect was arrested while sheltering in the Nedunkeni area. The CID's Human Trafficking, Smuggling Investigation and Maritime Crimes Division continues to investigate the full scope of the suspect's connections to the broader international criminal network involved in the case.
