A WhatsApp group with 532 members has offered investigators an unusually detailed glimpse into a vast underground cash-transfer network that moved potentially hundreds of millions of euros across borders without relying on conventional banking systems. The group, called “Traders of Greater Europe”, contained more than 82,000 messages exchanged between late February and December 2022.

A BBC investigation conducted with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) found that the network was used by money brokers to arrange cash payments for clients in countries around the world. Some transactions were linked to organised crime and extremist activity, including payments from Brussels to Syria that Belgian authorities said were intended to help wives of Islamic State (IS) members leave detention camps.

Belgian Investigation Reveals Hawala Network

The WhatsApp group came to light during a Belgian investigation that initially focused on terror financing. Belgian investigating magistrate Vincent Guerra discovered the group while examining the phone of Abu Adam, described as the head of a Brussels-based money-transfer network.

Guerra said the scale of the transactions uncovered through the messages was “staggering” and that the network extended across “the entire planet”. He described the original terror-financing investigation as “just a drop in the ocean of transactions”.

The cache of WhatsApp messages was obtained by the EBU following a Belgian court case in 2024 that ended with six money launderers being convicted. Abu Adam and his deputy, Abu Ahmed, were among those convicted.

Belgian police had found evidence that the network transferred money to people associated with IS. Investigators also discovered around 6,000 photographs of €5 notes, including their serial numbers, and approximately 6,000 photographs of identity cards.

Guerra said these details could serve as unique identifiers within hawala transactions. Based on the material recovered, he estimated that Abu Adam had handled at least 12,000 transactions.

How Hawala Transfers Work

At the heart of the network was hawala, an informal money-transfer system based on a network of trusted brokers rather than conventional banks.

Under the system, a customer gives money to a hawaladar in one country, who contacts another broker in the destination country. The second broker pays the recipient the equivalent amount after deducting a commission. The two brokers settle their accounts separately at a later stage.

This arrangement means the physical cash does not necessarily cross an international border. It can also avoid the electronic transaction trail normally generated by conventional international bank transfers.

Hawala itself is not illegal and is used for legitimate purposes in many parts of the world. Migrant workers, for instance, may use informal transfer networks to send money to relatives in countries where access to formal banking services is limited.

The same characteristics, however, can make hawala attractive to criminal organisations seeking to move money outside traditional financial monitoring systems. International bank transfers commonly pass through systems such as SWIFT, while banks are required to monitor transactions and report suspicious activity to authorities.

Hawala settlements instead take place through networks of brokers, potentially making it more difficult for investigators to establish a direct financial trail between a sender and the eventual recipient.

Millions Moved Through Informal Networks

The EBU investigation found that the Belgian network was part of a broader system rather than an isolated operation. A former money launderer involved in European hawala networks, identified by the BBC as “Frank”, said he had participated in transactions worth several hundred million euros.

Frank recalled working from an office in a small town outside Rotterdam where five or six couriers arrived within roughly 90 minutes carrying cash. He estimated that at least €1 million was transferred during that period.

His experience eventually showed him that the system was being used for purposes extending well beyond transfers between individuals. Investigators found further evidence linking hawala networks in Europe to criminal operations, including people-smuggling activities.

Hawala Networks Linked To People Smuggling

In Austria, broadcaster ORF, an EBU member, investigated what police described as one of Vienna’s largest hawala offices. The operation was reportedly run from a kebab restaurant and allegedly facilitated payments connected to people smuggling.

Two Syrian brothers who operated the business were charged with human trafficking after allegations that they had also tortured and raped a courier who had lost €350,000. They were convicted last year and sentenced to 18 and eight years in prison respectively.

A separate operation involving Austrian police and Europol uncovered another people-smuggling network that authorities said was financed through hawala. Investigators said the network had transported around 100,000 people into Europe over an 18-month period.

The investigations have highlighted the difficulty authorities face in monitoring informal financial networks that operate across multiple countries. While hawala can serve legitimate financial needs, investigators must distinguish those transactions from payments that allow organised crime groups to move, conceal or access illicit proceeds.

The “Traders of Greater Europe” messages have provided a rare look into how such a system can operate at scale, with thousands of brokers and transactions potentially spanning continents without leaving the conventional banking trail.

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