Hungary has launched a large-scale internal investigation into the activities of its law enforcement agencies. The trigger for this was a high-profile incident involving the seizure of Oschadbank couriers, which occurred in March 2026. The Prime Minister of the country, Péter Magyar, announced the start of the investigation on his X social media account.
Order to investigate
The new head of the Hungarian government has ordered an immediate internal investigation into several key structures. The National Tax and Customs Administration, the Anti-Terrorism Center, and other agencies involved in the operation are under scrutiny.
"We have ordered an immediate internal investigation into the National Tax and Customs Administration, the Anti-Terrorism Center, and other relevant authorities regarding the case of the Ukrainian 'golden convoy'. The Prosecutor General must address this issue immediately," Magyar wrote.
Details of the "golden convoy" seizure
The events that prompted the investigation unfolded on March 5, 2026. Near Budapest, two armored vehicles belonging to Oschadbank were stopped. This was a regular route operated between the Austrian Raiffeisen Bank and the Ukrainian bank.
Significant assets were found in the cargo compartments: $40 million USD, €35 million, and 9 kilograms of gold. Seven couriers accompanying the cargo were detained. The bank employees spent more than 28 hours in handcuffs. According to sources, one of the couriers was forcibly injected twice between interrogations, after which his condition worsened, and he had to be hospitalized.
Political context and pressure
According to the Hungarian publication Telex, the raid was a carefully planned operation carried out without any legal grounds. The decision to carry out the detention was personally made by the then Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán. This was confirmed by the Hungarian Government Office for Constitutional Protection, stating that the order came from the State Secretariat under the Prime Minister's office.
Parallel to the physical detention of the couriers, an information attack began. The media empire of the ruling party, Fidesz, began spreading AI-generated images. In these fake photos, the couriers were depicted as criminals, which was part of a campaign to discredit the Ukrainian side.
Resolution of the conflict
The situation was resolved only after a change of power in Hungary. In May 2026, the country's government returned all funds and assets to Oschadbank in full. Additionally, three-year bans on entry into the Schengen zone for the seven couriers were lifted, and all records of them were removed from state registries.