German police arrest alleged Hawala money‑launderer in Hagen

Bundespolizei in Hagen arrested a 45‑year‑old Syrian man suspected of operating a Hawala network that facilitated payments for human‑smuggling gangs. The suspect is charged with illegal immigration facilitation, forming a criminal association and money‑laundering. During coordinated raids in Hagen, Stadtlohn, Steinheim and Gescher, officers seized about €13,300 in cash, data devices and mobile phones.

Investigators say the man acted as an intermediary, receiving smuggler fees in cash and moving the funds outside the regular banking system to other Hawala operators across Europe and beyond. The case follows earlier proceedings against a different individual who had used the arrested suspect to handle his smuggling payments. Hawala transactions, based on trust and often used by immigrants to send money home, are prohibited in Germany.