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Ukraine releases Vietnam’s citizens held by security service in Odessa — media

The Vietnamese citizens were held by the SBU on January 28 during the raid in the Lotos area in Odessa

HANOI, February 4. /TASS/. Ukraine’s authorities have released two citizens of Vietnam detained in a recent raid of the Security Service (SBU) in the Vietnamese neighborhood in the southern city of Odessa, local media reports said on Thursday citing the country’s embassy in Kiev.

The Vietnamese citizens were held by the SBU on January 28 during the raid in the Lotos area in Odessa. The special Alpha group of the SBU searched for the evidence of an illegal activity of migrants and in particular, foreign currency transactions.

The Vietnamese diplomatic mission in Kiev said two citizens were released shortly after the arrest while another man was freed on Wednesday.

Journalists in Odessa said the SBU agents broke into the apartments and cut open the doors even when the owners were not at home. The citizens claimed the agents took their money and valuables.

After the incident, the head of Vietnam's Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department Ly Quoc Tuan held a meeting with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Vietnam Alexei Shovkoplias on Tuesday. The Vietnamese diplomat said Ukraine’s actions were unacceptable and demanded official explanations.