Probe into Austria migrant lorry deaths to start in February

Budapest, January 13 (MTI) – The Hungarian authorities plan in February to commence an investigation into the case of migrants who passed through Hungary concealed in a refrigerated lorry and were discovered dead in the vehicle on an Austrian motorway in August, the daily Magyar Idok said on Wednesday.

Documents provided by the Austrian authorities in November are being translated, and once this has been completed the investigation can start, the National Police Headquarters told the paper.

So far it is known from the documentation that the smuggling gang was composed of Iraqis and Afghans, the paper said.

For a time, the Austrian and Hungarian authorities pursued parallel investigations. Given that certain acts took place in Hungary and four suspects were detained in the country, the Austrian justice ministry officially proposed that Hungary should conduct criminal proceedings. Currently the Hungarian National Bureau of Investigation is investigating five people on suspicion of people smuggling.