WhatsApp group chat used to send millions in cash, funding crime and extremism
The WhatsApp money launderers arranged cash transfers in the UK and around the world with no paper trail.
A WhatsApp group chat was used to transfer hundreds of millions of euros across the world, financing organized crime and extremism with no paper trail, according to an investigation by European broadcasters. This 532-member group, known as "Traders of Greater Europe," arranged cash transfers for clients, including payments to British cities like Birmingham and London.
One instance involved funds going to Islamic State militants in Syria. The investigation, conducted by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) network, also found similar cash transfer systems being used for people smuggling and drug trafficking. The group chat contained over 82,000 messages sent between late February and December 2022.
Belgian magistrate Vincent Guerra uncovered the chat, describing it as "hitting the jackpot" due to its revealing of the inner workings of a vast underground system.
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