Ukraine opens case over abduction of Oschadbank cash collectors in Hungary

That is according to the Communications Department of the National Police, Ukrinform reports.

Information about the incident has been entered into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under Article 146 of Ukraine's Criminal Code (illegal deprivation of liberty or abduction) and Article 147 (hostage-taking).

Police officers from the National Police's Department of International Police Cooperation have contacted Europol, Hungary's tax and customs authority, and Hungarian police through official channels and are coordinating efforts aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the incident.

The investigation is currently ongoing.

In the early hours of March 6, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Hungarian authorities in Budapest had taken seven Ukrainian citizens – Oschadbank employees – hostage and seized the money they were transporting. According to him, the seven cash collectors were traveling in two bank vehicles in transit between Austria and Ukraine and were transporting cash as part of routine operations between state-owned banks.

Later in the day, Hungary's tax authority confirmed the detention of seven Oschadbank cash collectors and two vehicles carrying cash that were traveling from Austria to Ukraine, saying it had opened a criminal investigation on suspicion of money laundering.

Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Andriy Pyshnyy said that NBU representatives were urgently departing on a mission to clarify the situation surrounding the detained Oschadbank cash collection teams and vehicles.

Later, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said that the seven Ukrainian cash collectors detained by Hungary's tax and customs authorities would be expelled from the country.

Photo: National Police of Ukraine