Police Arrest Áron Orbán in People-Smuggling Visa Case
Hungarian police have detained four suspects accused of human trafficking, including the brother of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The investigation concerns illegal visas issued to more than one hundred Vietnamese citizens.
Arrest in People-Smuggling Case
Hungarian police detained four people suspected of human trafficking on Friday, according to Hungarian media cited by oko.press. Among those detained was Áron Orbán, the younger brother of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Hungarian authorities have not officially confirmed this information.
The operation was conducted on 9 November 2026 in cooperation with Europol in Budapest and in Fót and Dunaújváros. Three men and one woman were detained, and their properties were also searched.
The Scheme
According to police, the suspected group had charged money in 2024 to help Vietnamese citizens obtain Hungarian visas permitting residence in the Schengen zone. The stated aim of the arrivals was to reach Western Europe.
Investigators established that the detained individuals presented the visa as justified by participation in short training courses in Hungary. In fact, most of the Vietnamese arrivals never attended the training. The investigation indicates that the scheme involved more than one hundred people.
Charges and Political Context
The four detained individuals face charges of human trafficking for financial gain in collaboration with others. Simultaneously, the Hungarian asset recovery office (NVVH) brought a charge against one of the men related to paid protection — he allegedly invoked political influence to seek benefits for a work-placement firm.
New Prime Minister Péter Magyar wrote on Facebook — citing media reports — that the brother of the former head of government had been detained on suspicion of human trafficking. Viktor Orbán responded on social media, characterising the operation as political retaliation. "I am the target, my brother is merely a tool," the former Prime Minister stated. Magyar replied that Orbán's statement essentially confirmed the detention.
Context and Background
In 2024, a recording of a conversation emerged in which Áron Orbán allegedly sought to persuade a prime minister's office official to expedite visa procedures. His company, Multi Shoot, enrolled Vietnamese citizens in two-day rescue training courses at the University of Pécs.
The matter became significant following April parliamentary elections, in which Péter Magyar's TISZA party removed Fidesz from power after 16 years of Orbán's rule. Magyar made the settlement of abuses from the previous administration one of the government's principal objectives, announcing an audit of the state, prosecution of corruption, and recovery of public assets. The new NVVH office was intended to be one of the tools for these efforts.
Source: Google News PL — Crime (pl)