According to ChainCatcher, the Indian Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has raised concerns in its '2024-25 India Smuggling Report' about the increasing use of cryptocurrencies and stablecoins in drug and gold smuggling operations. The report highlights that digital assets, due to their decentralized, anonymous, and borderless nature, offer smuggling groups faster anonymous settlements, minimal regulation, and weak anti-money laundering compliance.
A case uncovered by the DRI revealed that an international gold smuggling syndicate laundered over $12.7 million through hawala networks and USDT. The masterminds behind the operation used multiple crypto wallets to layer funds and maintain anonymity, communicating via encrypted applications like WeChat through VPNs.