The Hungarian government has announced plans to expel seven Ukrainian cash couriers who were detained in the early hours of March 6. The spokesperson for the government, Zoltan Kovacs, shared this information via social media.
According to Kovacs, the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) identified the individuals, who were allegedly transporting large amounts of cash and gold through Hungary. He noted that the operation was reportedly led by a former general from Ukraine’s Security Service, with assistance from a former Air Force major and individuals with military backgrounds.
“Based on these findings, all seven individuals will be expelled from Hungary,” Kovacs stated.
In a related development, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga confirmed that the Hungarian authorities had detained the seven employees of Oschadbank while they were on a cash transport mission from Austria. Oschadbank acknowledged that their personnel had gone missing, along with the cash transport vehicles and valuables.
GPS data indicates that the bank’s vehicles are currently located in central Budapest, near a building associated with a Hungarian security agency. The bank clarified that its employees were transporting funds and valuables as part of an international agreement with Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank, following established international transport regulations and European customs procedures. The total value of the cargo in the detained vehicles was reported to be $40 million, €35 million, and 9 kilograms of gold.
Informed sources revealed that the seized cash transport vehicles are currently held in a secured area of the local Anti-Terrorism Center. The Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration later confirmed the detention of the seven Ukrainians on suspicion of money laundering, stating that the Hungarian authorities promptly notified the Ukrainian consulate about the investigation.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs characterized the detention of the Oschadbank couriers as “arbitrary” and advised Ukrainian citizens to avoid travel to Hungary due to concerns over their safety. Additionally, the head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Andriy Pyshnyy, announced that a team from the bank would urgently travel to Budapest to clarify the situation regarding the detention of the cash transport crews.
Seven Ukrainian cash couriers are set to be expelled from Hungary after being detained on suspicion of money laundering. This incident has raised significant concerns from Ukrainian authorities, prompting travel advisories and urgent investigations.