1998 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report

Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
United States Department of State
February 26, 1999

HUNGARY

I. Summary

Hungary is an important transit country for illegal narcotics from the Middle East to Western Europe. After dramatically increasing early in the 1990's, drug seizures have remained relatively stable in the last several years. Heroin seizures increased in 1998. Domestic consumption of illegal narcotics, particularly locally produced LSD and "ecstasy," continues to rise. The Hungarian Government recently passed legislation, going into effect in December 1998, that is among the strictest in Europe. The new legislation will introduce strict penalties for using as well as selling illegal narcotics. Drug traffickers may be punished with life imprisonment. Civil rights activists, however, argue that the harsh new penalties will punish users unfairly. The new legislation is part of the new conservative coalition's efforts to "get tough" on crime. The Hungarian Parliament ratified the 1988 UN Drug Convention on Narcotics in 1996; a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and an Extradition Treaty between the U.S. and Hungary entered into force in 1997.

II. Status of Country

Hungary continues to be a major transit country for illegal narcotics smuggled from Southwest Asia and the Balkans to Western Europe. Continued unrest in Albania and the former Yugoslavia, coupled with the good road, rail and air connections, make Hungary an attractive choice for drug smugglers. Drug confiscations on Hungarian borders remained stable in 1998. Cocaine confiscation continued to fall, owing to vigilance of inspectors at Budapest's Ferihegy Airport, thereby diverting drugs to softer routes. According to Hungarian Government reports, the transit and sale of narcotics in Hungary is mostly controlled by foreign groups, particularly from Albania, Turkey and Nigeria, many of whom have been resident in Hungary for years. Ethnic Turks increasingly use more sophisticated means to transport narcotics through Hungary, including using German-licensed vehicles that are less closely scrutinized by border guards.

Hungarian Government authorities claim that marijuana, ecstasy and LSD are locally produced; all other illegal narcotics are imported. Marijuana is mostly cultivated in Western Hungary. 20 marijuana plantations reportedly were eradicated in 1998.

Hungarian authorities report an increasingly serious domestic consumption problem, including approximately 100,000 addicts and 35,000 to 50,000 occasional users. Drug-related deaths from overdoses and traffic accidents rose from 204 in 1995 to 289 in 1996 (latest figures available). Heroin and cocaine prices are falling, but remain too high for most Hungarians. Domestically produced "ecstasy," LSD and marijuana are widely available, and use is rising. In 1997, the Hungarian Government spent approximately $60,000 on demand reduction programs, including teacher training and curriculum development. The USG, EU PHARE and other international donors also provide some funding for demand reduction efforts.

III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 1998

Policy initiatives. Anti-crime legislation, introduced as the first initiative of the new government coalition elected in May 1998, will stiffen Hungary's criminal code, provide for life imprisonment of drug traffickers, create new criminal provisions for the production of chemical precursors and increase penalties for drug-related crimes. All drug consumers, including casual users, are subject to criminal penalties, although addicts may be exempted from prosecution. Civil rights leaders claim that the new provisions, among the strictest in Europe, will punish unfairly casual users, while exempting hard core addicts. An ad hoc parliamentary committee called for disbanding the Inter-ministerial Drug Committee and creation of a new "drug czar" and office for anti- narcotics strategy in the Prime Minister's office. Criminal penalties for producing precursor chemicals will increase substantially when new legislation is enacted.

Law Enforcement Efforts. Hungarian and Austrian border authorities have joined efforts in cross-border anti-narcotics investigations. Hungarian officials continue to participate actively in international law enforcement training efforts, particularly through the Budapest-based International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA). The USG enjoys consistently good cooperation with its Hungarian Government counterparts.

Corruption. Hungary's new government has targeted organized crime- and narcotics-related corruption in Hungarian law enforcement agencies. The governing coalition passed an anti-Mafia legislative package; however, implementation has been delayed beyond the December 1998 date originally foreseen. The legislation includes increased criminal penalties for organized crime relating to drugs and money laundering in addition to a number of other areas.

Agreements and Treaties. Hungary is a party to the 1961 UN Convention amended by the 1972 Protocol, the 1971 UN Convention and the 1988 UN Drug Convention. On March 18, 1997, a new extradition treaty and a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty between the U.S. and Hungary entered into force.

IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs

Bilateral Programs. USG support for Hungarian Government counternarcotics efforts is focused on training and cooperation, primarily through the Budapest-based, State Department-funded ILEA, established in 1995. In 1998, ILEA trained 145 Hungarians, as well as law enforcement professionals from over thirty countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. ILEA's eight-week core curriculum contains a significant component of counternarcotics training. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) provided region-specific counternarcotics training to 32 law enforcement personnel from Central Asia in November 1998. The DEA maintains an office in Vienna, Austria that is accredited to Hungary and works with local authorities. The DEA also ran a number of courses in Prague and Bratislava that included Hungarian participants. USIA and USAID partially fund several programs that stress demand reduction and curriculum development targeted for junior high school students.

The Road Ahead. The USG supports Hungarian legislative efforts to stiffen criminal penalties for drug offenses, and will continue to support the Hungarian Government through training at ILEA and elsewhere. The U.S. Ambassador's law enforcement initiative is bringing greater Embassy resources to bear on the fight against organized crime, including drug trafficking. As part of that effort, the USG will continue to sponsor law enforcement training programs, such as internal controls training for the Hungarian National Police in December 1998.