Hungarian Police Raid People-Smuggling Case: Reports Say Former PM Orbán's Brother Was Detained; Orbán Calls It a Political Attack
BUDAPEST — Hungarian police carried out coordinated searches and arrests at several locations in Budapest and the surrounding Pest County on November 9 as part of a people-smuggling investigation. The Hungarian outlet Kontroll first reported that Áron Orbán, the younger brother of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, had been detained on suspicion of people smuggling.
The National Police Headquarters confirmed that the National Bureau of Investigation (NNI) and the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office (NVVH) conducted searches and arrested several people. Authorities have not confirmed whether Áron Orbán was among those detained, nor formally identified him as a suspect.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar wrote on social media on the morning of November 9, citing media reports, that Áron Orbán had been detained on suspicion of people smuggling and that the investigation by the asset recovery office and the National Bureau of Investigation was continuing. Viktor Orbán denounced the operation the same day as politically motivated, accusing Magyar's government of targeting his family, and wrote: 'The target is me. My brother is merely a tool.'
Áron Orbán is a businessman linked to Multi Shoot, a company previously scrutinised over its role in arranging visas for foreign workers. An investigation by the Hungarian outlet Telex linked his business network to efforts to secure Hungarian visas and residence permits for nationals of Nepal, Vietnam and other non-EU countries, including enrolling Vietnamese nationals on short university courses that could facilitate access to Schengen visas. In April 2026, prosecutors identified four suspects in a related influence-peddling case involving a 17,000-euro payment for permits that were never issued; Telex reported at the time that Áron Orbán was not among those suspects.
The case comes amid a series of accountability investigations launched since Magyar's government took office. Police said the investigation was continuing and that more details were expected later in the day.
(Source: Telex, Hungary)
Source: Telex, Hungary
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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