There’s a legit and legal reason why Somali men get on planes with suitcases filled with money. It happens 3-4 times a week, depending on volume of transactions that Hawala Services have collected over the week.

Hawala services are like Western Union and money gram but are mainly used by Somalis because REGULAR BANKS don’t operate in Somalia. Hawala services operate in Somalia and run based on trust.

4-5 Hawalas operate all over America. Agents of these companies collect remittances money from Somalis and other immigrants to send back to family members back home. They charge fees anywhere from 3-5% to send money abroad. This might sound high, but they move actual dollars around the world. Instead of exchanging local currencies.

Hawala Services are the only money remittances businesses that give receiving customers US Dollars instead of local currency. This is why they are preferred over traditional remittances companies.

To make this possible agents of these companies, all Somali men, travel with physical US dollars overseas to Dubai first.

They move millions of dollars at a time. All coming from people sending as little as $20 at a time to family members overseas.

THEY DO THIS LEGALLY, WITH DOCUMENTS PROVING THE SOURCE OF THE MONEY AND GET PERMISSION LETTERS FROM UNITED STATES TREASURY.

Now why do they not use Banks to fulfill this function?

Because of a famous case involving a Somali Hawala called Al-Barakat.

Back in early 2001 Al-Barakat was accused of moving money for 9/11 suspects. The US government seized millions from Al-Barakat and held it for almost 20 years. Even though the 9/11 commission found NO EVIDENCE Al-Barakat was used by 9/11 suspects. The case ended in 2020 with Al-Barakat winning the case and got their business license renewed.

ALL US BANKS REFUSED TO SERVICE HAWALA BUSINESS BECAUSE OF THE AL-BARAKAT CASE.

And that’s why all Hawalas move millions of dollars physically through United States airports.

How do I know this?

The biggest Hawala in the world right now is called Dahabshill. I personally know people who work for Dahabshill as local agents in the states and their main office in Dubai.

Dahabshill is worldwide and are used by the United Nations and many NGOs in on move money, to places around the world traditional banks don’t operate.