Sudanese forces rescue 74 foreign hostages from human trafficking gang in Khartoum

July 23, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese authorities freed 74 foreign hostages from a human trafficking network in Khartoum state on Thursday during a joint security operation that also seized arms and military equipment.

Several regions across Sudan have seen a surge in human trafficking, arms smuggling, and drug trafficking as the ongoing conflict breeds lawlessness and weakens border controls, creating a fertile environment for organized crime networks.

The Customs Forces said in a statement that the General Administration for Anti-Smuggling in Khartoum state, in direct coordination with the Military Police, raided a human trafficking hideout, freeing 74 foreign hostages, arresting 12 suspects, and seizing weapons and vehicles.

Brigadier General Abbas Abdel Qader Dinar, director of anti-smuggling in Khartoum state, said the operation was executed alongside Major General Jamal Mohamed Ahmed Ali, commander of the Military Police.

Forces seized three DShK heavy machine guns, two PK machine guns, 16 Kalashnikov rifles and sniper rifles, five handguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and six RPG rockets.

Dinar added that security forces also confiscated four Starlink satellite internet devices and two vehicles, noting that the joint operation forms part of broader security efforts to combat organized crime and human trafficking networks taking advantage of the security vacuum.

Lieutenant General Salah Ahmed Ibrahim, director general of Customs Forces, commended the participating forces and highlighted the coordination with the Military Police that led to the rescue of the hostages and the arrest of the trafficking ring suspects.