Hungary says it will expel detained Ukrainian cash-in-transit guards

Hungarian authorities have said they plan to expel seven Ukrainian cash-in-transit guards who were earlier detained by officers of Hungary's National Tax and Customs Administration.

Hungarian government spokesman Zoltán Kovács said that Hungary's National Tax and Customs Administration established the identities of seven Ukrainian citizens detained in connection with transporting large amounts of cash and gold through Hungary.

"Authorities found the operation was supervised by a former general of the Ukrainian Security Service, with a former major of the Ukrainian Air Force acting as deputy and assisted by individuals with military experience. Based on these findings, all seven individuals will be expelled from Hungary," Kovács wrote on X.

On Friday 6 March, the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary reported the seizure of the cash-in-transit vehicles and the detention of bank employees from Ukraine, saying the operation was carried out in cooperation with TEK "on suspicion of money laundering".

It was claimed that among those detained was a former general of a Ukrainian security service who was overseeing a shipment consisting of US$40 million, €35 million and 9 kilograms of gold.

The National Bank of Ukraine was the first to report that Ukrainian cash-in-transit staff and a large amount of currency had been seized. The employees were from Oschadbank and were transporting cash from Austria to Ukraine.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the Hungarian authorities' actions as "hostage-taking and state terrorism", and the ministry advised Ukrainian citizens to refrain from travelling to Hungary.