Hungary has announced that it will expel seven Ukrainian citizens who were traveling with money on a collection flight from Austria and were seized on the night of March 6.
Zoltán Kovács, the spokesman of the Hungarian government, has reported this on X.
"Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Administration identified the backgrounds of seven Ukrainian nationals detained in connection with large cash and gold shipments transported through Hungary," the statement said.
According to him, the authorities found out that the operation was allegedly led by a former general of the Security Service of Ukraine, and his deputy was a former major of the Ukrainian Air Forces, who was assisted by people with military experience.
"Based on these conclusions, all seven people will be expelled from Hungary," Kovács said.
On the morning of March 6, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Hungary had captured 7 employees of Oschadbank who were traveling with money on a collection flight from Austria. The reasons for the detention were not known to Ukraine, and there was no connection with Ukrainian citizens.
Oshchadbank also stated that the transportation of funds and valuables was carried out directly by Oshchadbank within the framework and pursuant to an international agreement with Raiffeisen Bank, Austria.
It became known that Hungarian security forces hid two stolen Oschadbank collection vehicles in the closed territory of the Anti-Terrorist Center. The amount of valuables in the stolen cars was USD 40 million, EUR 35 million, and 9 kg of gold.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has demanded that Hungary immediately release seven employees of Oschadbank.
Meanwhile, the National Police of Ukraine has launched criminal proceedings on the fact of abduction of Ukrainian citizens and a company car of JSC Oschadbank in Hungary. And the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Ukrainians refrain from traveling to Hungary due to "the impossibility of guaranteeing their safety against the backdrop of arbitrary actions of the Hungarian authorities."
Who we are: About us, Contacts. How we write news and our principles: Editorial code. We did our best. If you found this valuable – please support us.
To request a correction, please send an email.