Yemeni Interior Ministry: 41 Ethiopian migrants freed from kidnapping and extortion gang in Shabwa

The Yemeni Interior Ministry announced the liberation of 41 Ethiopian immigrants from a kidnapping and financial extortion gang in the city of Ataq, the capital of Shabwa Governorate (southeast Yemen).

The security media affiliated with the ministry said in a statement that a security campaign launched by the Ataq city police on Sunday succeeded in freeing 41 Ethiopian immigrants from the hands of a kidnapping, torture and extortion gang in the "settlement" neighborhood south of Ataq city.

The statement quoted the campaign commander, Captain Badr Mohammed Al-Nasi, as saying that the campaign came after receiving information that there were kidnapped people in the area, noting that after the release of the kidnapped people, the members of the gang that carried out the kidnapping were arrested, as well as the arrest of 4 major smugglers who hold the same nationality.

Captain Al-Nasi explained that the kidnappings were for the purpose of extortion, as the gang tortured the kidnapped people and contacted their families to request the transfer of money.

The commander of the security campaign indicated that following the arrest of all members of the gang, preliminary investigation reports were opened against them, and they will later be referred to the Public Prosecution to complete the necessary legal procedures regarding them.

In early September of last year, the Yemeni Interior Ministry announced the liberation of 30 African immigrants from a kidnapping and torture gang at the Al-Saeed junction in the same governorate.