WhatsApp Crime Network
Investigation Reveals WhatsApp Group Coordinates Millions in Global Crime and Terrorism
Anonymous
Key Points
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Explicit transfer requests surfaced in the group chat, including 60,000 pounds in London, 15,150 pounds in Birmingham, and 200,000 pounds in Liverpool, illustrating the scale and specific cash amounts involved.
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Investigators recovered a trove on Abu Adam’s phone showing about 6,000 photos of €5 notes and identity cards used as unique identifiers for hawala transfers.
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UK hawala legality is nuanced: while hawala is illegal in most EU countries, brokers registered with HMRC can operate legally in the UK.
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Belgian authorities identified Abu Adam as a Brussels-based leader of the network, with a 2024 court case convicting six money launderers tied to the operation.
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The investigation began as terrorism financing but officials say the financial network extended far beyond that focus, described as staggering and spanning the entire planet.
A WhatsApp group with 532 members coordinated hundreds of millions of euros in illegal cash transfers across Europe and beyond, BBC investigation reveals. The group, called "Traders of Greater Europe," exchanged over 82,000 messages between February and December 2022, moving money for organized crime, human trafficking, and extremism—including funds sent to Islamic State militants in Syria.
Investigators uncovered explicit transfer requests for specific amounts: 60,000 pounds in London, 15,150 pounds in Birmingham, and 200,000 pounds in Liverpool. BBC and the European Broadcasting Union traced the operation to Brussels-based broker Abu Adam, who used hawala—an informal transfer network that leaves no traditional banking records—to move the funds across borders undetected.
How Hawala Turned WhatsApp Into a Criminal Bank
Hawala brokers use identity cards and photos as unique identifiers instead of paperwork. Investigators found roughly 6,000 photographs of €5 notes and ID cards on Abu Adam's phone, all used to track who owed what in the network. This method erases the paper trail that banks normally create, making it nearly impossible for authorities to spot illicit transfers.
The group posted explicit requests like "need 60k in London" or "moving 200k to Liverpool." JournalArta reported that members coordinated payments through WhatsApp, then arranged physical cash collection via hawala brokers. No traditional banks touched the money. No government agencies saw the transfers. The entire operation ran parallel to the regulated financial system.
ISIS Funding and Terrorism Beyond the Original Investigation
Belgian authorities began investigating the network as part of a terrorism-financing probe. In at least one case, money sent from Brussels reached Islamic State militants operating in Syria. BBC found the network was far larger than initially suspected. Belgian magistrate Vincent Guerra called the scale "staggering," noting it expanded well beyond terrorism to include drug trafficking and people smuggling.
A 2024 Belgian court convicted six money launderers tied to the operation. Officials say the financial network is globally connected and sprawling. Authorities described the discovery as revealing a hidden layer of criminal finance that authorities had largely underestimated across Europe and beyond.
The UK's Murky Hawala Legal Gray Zone
Hawala is illegal in most European Union countries—but not in the UK. Brokers who register with HMRC (the UK tax authority) can operate legally under British law. This creates a loophole: criminals use registered hawala brokers to move money into and out of Britain while staying technically within the law. AlbanianDailyNews reported the group sent repeated large sums to UK cities.
The investigation found dozens of specific cash collection points in London, Birmingham, and Liverpool. The informal network thrives because it requires no records, no ID verification, and no questions. As long as brokers register, they operate in a legal gray zone that criminals exploit while investigators struggle to track the money.
A Darker Picture of Cross-Border Criminal Finance
The "Traders of Greater Europe" investigation pulls back the curtain on how organized crime has adapted to modern technology. Criminals use WhatsApp to coordinate. They use hawala to move money. They use false identities and photos instead of paperwork. The system works because traditional banking oversight doesn't apply. Albeu noted the group created an entirely invisible financial network.
Authorities say similar informal networks operate across the continent, funding drugs, trafficking, and extremism. The challenge facing European regulators is stark: modern criminal money-moving relies on channels that sit outside the traditional banking system. WhatsApp groups and hawala brokers operate faster and cheaper than banks. As long as the legal gray zones persist, investigators will struggle to keep pace.
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