Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Authority seized HUF 1.5 billion and detained suspects in raids targeting an alleged money laundering ring linked to pandemic purchases of masks and ventilators. Authorities questioned 11 suspects and took two into custody during the operation early Tuesday. One person was arrested in Austria with local assistance, and an international arrest warrant was issued for an alleged leader believed to be living in Indonesia. The case centres on imports of 800 ventilators and 3 million medical masks from China, supplied to the Hungarian state for HUF 15.6 billion in 2020. Prime Minister Péter Magyar said the raids struck companies that did “business with Péter Szijjártó’s ministry,” referring to the former foreign minister. Health Minister Zsolt Hegedűs also acknowledged the operation on Facebook, saying every forint in healthcare needs to serve patients’ interests. The seizure and arrests leave the investigation ongoing, with suspects detained or questioned and the warrant still outstanding for the alleged ring leader.