WhatsApp group with 532 members, 82,000 messages, millions in cash transfers: Report exposes hawala network
The 532-member group, called “Traders of Greater Europe,” reportedly contained more than 82,000 messages exchanged between February and December 2022. The messages were used to arrange cash transfers across borders, including payments involving British cities such as London and Birmingham.
A WhatsApp group with over 500 members, known as "Traders of Greater Europe," was found to be organizing hundreds of millions of euros in cash transfers worldwide through the hawala system, according to a BBC investigation. The group, which existed between February and December 2022, contained more than 82,000 messages exchanged during this period.
Some of these payments were linked to organized crime, people smuggling, drug trafficking, and Islamic State (IS) militants. Belgian authorities uncovered the group during a money-laundering investigation and found that the network extended globally. Hawala, an informal method of transferring money through trusted brokers, allows money to be sent across borders without physically sending cash, making it harder for authorities to trace.
Members of the "Traders of Greater Europe" group communicated in Arabic and arranged transactions using hawala, often sending payments above €5,000. The investigation revealed that the group was used for transactions involving organized crime, people smuggling, drug trafficking, and Islamic State militants. Belgian authorities also found evidence of the group sending money to IS-linked individuals, leading to the arrest of six money launderers, including the alleged head of the Brussels network.
Investigators discovered around 6,000 photographs of €5 notes and identity cards on the arrested man's phone, which can serve as unique identifiers in hawala transactions. The BBC and other EBU broadcasters found evidence of similar hawala networks being used for criminal activity in other European countries.
Written by urgent.news from Live Mint's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
