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Indian security agencies have uncovered a sophisticated cryptocurrency-based hawala network they say is being used to funnel untraceable foreign funds into Jammu and Kashmir, potentially financing extremist activity in the disputed region.
The scheme exploits anonymous crypto wallets and peer-to-peer trading to bypass India’s financial safeguards, prompting authorities to suspend VPN usage in Kashmir and launch a multi-agency investigation into what officials describe as a significant national security threat.
“The crypto hawala network operates entirely off the grid, erasing the financial trail and enabling funds to move without detection. This risks reviving separatist networks we have worked hard to contain”
According to investigators, the crypto hawala network mirrors India’s traditional informal transfer system, historically used to send value across borders outside formal banking channels, but leverages virtual assets and online anonymity to make detection difficult.
Handlers abroad, reportedly in countries including China, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Cambodia, instruct individuals in J&K to open private cryptocurrency wallets without Know Your Customer (KYC) verification, often using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to evade digital surveillance.
Untraceable transfers are sent directly into these private wallets, bypassing regulated financial institutions and financial reporting requirements.
Local wallet holders then travel to major Indian cities such as Delhi and Mumbai to meet unregulated peer-to-peer (P2P) traders, converting crypto into cash at negotiated rates.
The system employs mule accounts, ordinary bank or wallet accounts used to temporarily park funds and layer transactions, obscuring the origin and destination of funds. Operators reportedly promise account holders a small commission, typically between 0.8% and 1.8% per transaction, in exchange for control of their accounts.
“This effectively breaks the financial trail, allowing foreign money to enter the local economy as untraceable cash. It’s a sophisticated means of evasion.” – Reports
In response to growing indications of VPN misuse, the J&K Police have suspended VPN usage in the Valley, citing its exploitation by network operators to conceal digital footprints.
India’s cryptocurrency regime requires Virtual Digital Asset Service Providers (VDA SPs), including exchanges and trading platforms, to register with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and comply with stringent anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.
As of the 2024–25 fiscal year, only 49 exchanges have registered with the FIU as compliant reporting entities, a fraction of the broader digital asset market.
However, the crypto hawala network is reported to operate largely outside these regulated channels, limiting the visibility of regulators and law enforcement. Even registered exchanges have struggled with suspicious transaction reports, some flagged under categories including terror financing and illicit activity.
Dr. Meera Nair, a counter-terror financing expert at the Centre for Financial Integrity, said the development highlights a growing gap in enforcement capability:
“Cryptocurrency’s promise of speed and anonymity, if not properly regulated, becomes a vector for risk, especially when used outside formal channels.” – Cryptonews, highlighted
For the global crypto industry, the emergence of a digital hawala system that may channel funds into terror-linked activity could intensify scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers.
While India’s crypto market has seen steady formalisation—with taxation, exchange reporting requirements, and AML/KYC protocols—shadow networks operating beyond regulatory purview add complexity to oversight.
Market participants are watching closely. Some industry stakeholders argue that reinforced compliance standards, real-time transaction monitoring, and enhanced international information sharing are essential to mitigating misuse without stifling innovation.
As India balances innovation with security, the crypto hawala alert may shape future policy decisions with implications for global crypto governance.
Authorities say they will continue investigations and tighten surveillance to ensure digital assets are not misused to undermine national security interests.
