WhatsApp group chat used to send millions in cash, funding crime and extremism

A WhatsApp group chat known as "Traders of Greater Europe" was used to facilitate hundreds of millions of euros in cash transfers worldwide, funding organized crime and extremist groups, according to an investigation by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and its members, including the BBC. The 532-member group operated from late February to December 2022, with transactions often exceeding €5,000 and involving militant groups such as the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

Belgian investigating magistrate Vincent Guerra described the scale of transactions as "staggering," noting the network spanned the globe. The case initially focused on terror financing but expanded into broader criminal activities. Members used the hawala system—a traditional money transfer method relying on trusted brokers—to move funds without electronic records or physical transport of cash.

While hawala is sometimes used legitimately, such as by immigrant workers sending money to family, criminals exploit it to bypass banking oversight systems like SWIFT, which flag suspicious transactions. The group chat facilitated transfers to cities including Birmingham and London, with payments routed to IS militants in Syria.

The investigation began after Belgian authorities arrested Abu Adam, the Brussels-based head of a money-laundering network, and his associate Abu Ahmed. Police found the WhatsApp group on Abu Adam’s phone, along with 6,000 photos of €5 notes and 6,000 identity card images, suggesting at least 12,000 transactions.

Guerra called the discovery a "jackpot," revealing a sophisticated, unregulated system. "They're bankers with no government oversight," he said. The EBU also uncovered similar hawala networks across Europe, including in Austria, where authorities dismantled a kebab restaurant-based operation tied to human trafficking.

Former hawala broker Frank, who requested anonymity, told investigators he had handled transactions worth hundreds of millions of euros. He described the system as a conduit for drug trafficking, prostitution, and terror financing. Austrian police raided what they called "the biggest hawala office in Vienna," leading to the conviction of two Syrian brothers on human trafficking and torture charges.

Gerald Tatzgern of Austria’s Criminal Intelligence Service (BK) said gangs used torture to extort payments from migrants’ families via hawala. Europol and Austrian police also dismantled a smuggling ring that transported 100,000 people into Europe over 18 months, financed through hawala.

Police commander Quentin Mugg, an Europol liaison officer, called hawala the "primary money-laundering channel for organised crime," handling funds from diverse sources, including migrant smuggling and legitimate remittances.

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