The Security and Intelligence Joint Task Force announced that it has detained more than 90 foreign nationals and their local associates for allegedly engaging in the illegal exploitation of gold and other minerals in the resource‑rich Gambella and Benishangul‑Gumuz regional states. The unnamed foreign nationals are suspected of entering Ethiopia illegally and conducting illicit mining activities together with local partners, who were also not identified in the statement released late Thursday.
According to the task force, 45 foreign nationals who entered Ethiopia without valid travel documents, entry visas, or residence permits were detained, along with three Ethiopians, for allegedly conducting illegal exploration of gold and various minerals in the Gambella region. In the Benishangul‑Gumuz region, 47 unnamed foreign nationals who also lacked valid travel documents were detained on suspicion of illegal gold exploitation and the production of other minerals. The task force added that nine private limited companies and seven Ethiopians were among those detained, and that evidence of the alleged crimes was seized.
Based on surveillance and tips from local communities, the task force discovered that the suspects were not only extracting minerals illegally but also smuggling them out of the country, depriving Ethiopia of the benefits of its mineral wealth in the two regions. The task force warned that similar measures would be taken in other regions and urged local communities to strengthen cooperation with security agencies by providing proper coordination and information to prevent and control such criminal activities against the economy.
On 13 March, the Joint Task Force reported that, during an operation in various parts of Addis Ababa, five unnamed foreign nationals suspected of illegal dollar circulation, counterfeit dollar printing, and illicit weapons trafficking were detained and are under investigation.
Thursday’s announcement came just days after the Benishangul‑Gumuz regional state said it would take legal action against the booming illicit gold trade, which has caused a notable decrease in the region’s gold supply to the Central Bank of Ethiopia. In November of last year, the Benishangul‑Gumuz regional government issued a directive requiring all gold‑mining companies, small enterprises, and associations to sell their gold products only to the National Bank of Ethiopia, aiming to curb illegal gold trafficking and help stabilize the country’s economy.
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