Áron Orbán, brother of former premier, detained for people smuggling in Hungary
Áron Orbán, the younger brother of Viktor Orbán, was detained on Monday in a people trafficking case. The investigation also concerns suspicions related to facilitating the obtaining of Schengen visas.
Áron Orbán detained in large-scale operation in Budapest
Áron Orbán, the younger brother of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, was detained on Monday, 9 November, in a people trafficking case, adevarul.ro reports.
The announcement was made by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who posted a message on Facebook: "According to information that has appeared in the press, Viktor Orbán's brother, Áron Orbán, has been detained on suspicion of migrant smuggling. NVVH and the National Bureau of Investigation are continuing the investigation."
The operation was carried out on Monday morning by Hungarian authorities. According to the publication Kontroll.hu, investigators from the National Office for Recovery and Protection of Assets (NVVH) and those from the National Bureau of Investigation (NNI) acted jointly in Budapest and in two localities in Pest County. During the action, searches were conducted and several people were detained.
The Hungarian publication reported that Áron Orbán was among those detained, without the authorities officially confirming at that time the identity of all the people targeted.
Connection to Schengen visas and lifeguard courses
Áron Orbán was already under investigation in connection with a scandal involving the facilitation of obtaining visas and work permits for foreign nationals.
The Hungarian press had previously reported that a company associated with the former premier's brother had enrolled Vietnamese citizens in a two-day lifeguard course organised at the University of Pécs. Participation in these courses could have facilitated the obtaining of visas for the Schengen area.
Furthermore, Áron Orbán is said to have intervened with a government commissioner to accelerate the processing of certain visa applications.
The matter became public in 2024, following the emergence of an audio recording in which Áron Orbán was discussing with people involved in the recruitment of foreign workers about difficulties encountered in obtaining visas and the documents necessary for their employment in Hungary.
The investigation also concerns suspicions that certain people requested money in exchange for facilitating the obtaining of documents and using political connections to accelerate administrative procedures.
Source: Google News RO — Crime (ro)