A notorious Libyan human trafficker long pursued by local and international authorities was killed during a security operation in Sabratha, according to the city’s Security Threat Combating Agency.
Ahmed Omar Al-Fitouri Al-Dabbashi, widely known as “Al-Amo,” was shot dead after armed units raided one of his hideouts in response to an attack targeting one of the agency’s checkpoints near Sabratha’s hospital junction. The raid, carried out under a warrant from the Office of the Attorney General, resulted in Al-Dabbashi’s death, the arrest of his brother Saleh, and severe injuries among several members of his group.
The agency said six of its officers were seriously wounded in the initial attack, adding that the operation was part of ongoing efforts to dismantle networks threatening public security. It stressed that it would “not tolerate anyone endangering national safety,” vowing to continue operations with full legal authority.
Al-Dabbashi had been one of the most influential and dangerous human traffickers in western Libya since 2015. He built a powerful militia that dominated illegal migration routes along the Sabratha coastline, running clandestine detention sites for African migrants and controlling key smuggling corridors. His activities drew international condemnation, including reports by the United Nations documenting abuses such as torture, extortion, and forced labour.
In 2017, the UN Security Council added Al-Dabbashi to its sanctions list. He has also been wanted by the International Criminal Court and Libyan judicial authorities on charges including murder, torture, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and running illegal armed groups.
Although a 2017 military offensive briefly forced him out of Sabratha, he later returned amid shifting local alliances, raising criticism over inconsistent law-enforcement efforts against sanctioned militia leaders.
Local sources say the latest operation has disrupted several smuggling hubs formerly controlled by Al-Dabbashi, suggesting a weakening of the networks that once thrived under his protection and an apparent shift in the political environment that previously enabled his survival.
