The message said the employees were illegally detained by Hungarian authorities while on a service run. All are now safe, the bank said but are "in serious emotional distress." One courier experienced a flare-up of a chronic condition after the incident and received medical care at the Ukrainian border.
The bank thanked the National Bank of Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry, Ukrainian diplomatic missions in Hungary, and other state agencies for their help in securing the employees' return. Oschadbank said it is cooperating with Ukrainian authorities and international partners to determine the circumstances of the detention and to recover the armored vehicles and valuables that had been transported. The two vehicles were carrying $40 million, EUR35 million, and 9 kilograms of bank gold.
Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Administration opened a
criminal investigation on suspicion of money laundering after authorities
detained seven Ukrainian citizens and seized two armored vehicles earlier the same
day.