WhatsApp messages reveal global cash‑laundering scheme tied to organised crime and extremism
A 532‑member WhatsApp group, named "Traders of Greater Europe", was exposed as a covert hawala operation moving hundreds of millions of euros worldwide. The network, discovered by Belgian magistrate Vincent Guerra, linked cash transfers to organised crime, drug trafficking, people smuggling and even the Islamic State militia in Syria.
The chat contained over 82,000 messages sent between late February and December 2022. Participants arranged payments of more than €5,000—often far higher—and coordinated the transfer of cash via a network of trusted brokers (hawaladars) who settled debts later. Because hawala transacts without electronic records or bank involvement, it bypasses the swift system and regulatory scrutiny.
Guerra said the volume was "staggering" and that the network spanned the globe. The case began as a terrorism‑financing inquiry but revealed a "drop in the ocean" of illicit activity. The Belgian court eventually convicted six hazers, including the Brussels network leader Abu Adam, who processed an estimated 12,000 transactions based on photos of serial‑numbered €5 notes and identity cards found on his phone.
Beyond Belgium, EBU investigations uncovered similar hawala‑based rings across Europe. An Austrian raid on a kebab‑restaurant‑office revealed a centre for people‑smuggling payments, and a separate operation in Vienna used the system to fund the transport of 100,000 migrants over 18 months. The Austrian human‑trafficking task force highlighted that traffickers used hawala to threaten migrants' families with torture unless they paid extra money.
Law‑enforcement experts describe hawala as the "primary money‑laundering channel for organised crime". Planners cannot differentiate between legitimate remittances for immigrants, discretionary gifts, or illicit proceeds: they simply absorb and redistribute the money on set rates.
The findings raise questions about regulatory gaps: hawala is illegal in most EU countries but legal in the UK provided brokers register with HMRC. The investigations suggest a need for tighter oversight of informal transfer systems and cross‑border cooperation to curb the flow of dirty money that fuels crime and extremism.
