In connection with the case widely referred to in the media as the Ukrainian gold convoy, several false claims have recently appeared, Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) said. In order to provide accurate information and prevent the spread of further misinformation, authorities have updated the public on the status of the investigation and released a video that presumably shows individuals falsifying documents.
In relation to the large-scale transport of Ukrainian cash and gold bars passing through Hungary,
NAV has launched a criminal investigation on suspicion of money laundering.
As part of the investigation, a shipment was stopped in early March. Its contents were officially recorded, individuals involved in the transport were questioned as witnesses, and information was gathered from multiple sources.
Financial investigators established several key findings regarding the cash transported in the so-called Ukrainian gold convoy:
- The armored cash transport vehicles contained exclusively newly printed banknotes—euros and US dollars—that had not previously entered circulation.
- The euro banknotes were printed by the Italy's central bank.
- In addition to Ukraine’s Oshadbank, a Polish and a Gibraltar-based bank were also linked to the background of the shipments.
NAV has requested that the Chief Prosecutor’s Office overseeing the legality of the investigation issue European Investigation Orders to both Austria and Poland.
During the investigation, multiple pieces of evidence have emerged suggesting that the background of the Ukrainian cash transport passing through Hungary remains unclear. The origin and intended use of the 40 million dollars and 35 million euros in cash, as well as nine kilograms of gold bars transported in armored vehicles, may point to criminal activity. This is further supported by a video recording which presumably shows that
a former Ukrainian intelligence major general overseeing the transport falsified documents in a gas station restroom during the operation, while his associates can be heard discussing corruption-related money.
NAV has firmly rejected media claims suggesting that authorities failed to act in accordance with the law during the criminal proceedings. Video documentation was made of all investigative actions, and these are being handled in full compliance with applicable legal regulations, as reported by Blikk.
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