EBU investigation exposes hawala networks laundering hundreds of millions across Europe

A European Broadcasting Union investigation found criminal networks across Europe systematically use hawala — an informal transfer system leaving no banking trail — to launder hundreds of millions of euros tied to terrorism, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and prostitution. A self-described former launderer told the EBU he handled transactions totalling several hundred million euros. One Europol-backed case dismantled a hawala-financed ring that moved roughly 100,000 people into Europe in 18 months.