Viktor Orbán's brother arrested in preventive custody for 30 days over human trafficking in Budapest
Aron Orbán, the brother of former Hungarian Prime Minister, has been placed in preventive custody for 30 days in a migrant trafficking case. Four suspects were detained following a joint operation by Hungarian authorities.
Aron Orbán arrested in preventive custody in Budapest in migrant trafficking case
The Budapest Court ordered on Wednesday the placement in preventive custody for 30 days of Aron Orbán, brother of former nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, according to information transmitted by AFP and MTI, cited by antena3.ro. A second suspect was also placed in preventive custody, according to a court statement. The decision may be appealed.
Aron Orbán and three other persons were detained on Monday in a joint operation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NNI) and the National Agency for Asset Recovery and Protection (NVVH), an anti-corruption body established by the government led by Peter Magyar, which has been in power since May.
According to the NNI, the four are suspected of human trafficking carried out within a criminal organisation. They are alleged to have assisted over 100 Vietnamese citizens in obtaining visas in 2024, collecting a "recruitment commission" which they are suspected of appropriating.
Viktor Orbán reacted on Monday, accusing the Magyar government of seeking to eliminate political opponents. "The target is me, my brother is merely an instrument," the former Prime Minister wrote on Facebook, describing the measure as a "below-the-belt blow".
The court found that the suspicions against the four arrested persons are sufficiently well-founded. One of the suspects was placed under judicial supervision for four months, and the fourth was released. The prosecution had requested preventive custody for all four, citing the risk of flight and obstruction of the investigation.
The judges found the risk of flight for three of the suspects. In the case of Aron Orbán and the other suspect placed in detention, the court found that they could influence future testimony.
Source: Google News RO — Crime (ro)