International operation: Hungarian police take down leader of massive Chinese drug network

Hungarian police – supported by Europol and the FBI’s New York office – have dismantled an international drug trafficking network operated from China. Investigators arrested the alleged ringleader in Hungary, who is believed to have overseen the distribution of more than 42 tonnes of chemical substances used to produce illegal drugs across Europe. The seized precursors could have been used to manufacture narcotics worth an estimated HUF 600 billion (EUR 1.6 billion).

International operation targeting a multi-continental network

According to authorities, the criminal organisation supplied Europe with key precursor chemicals needed to produce MDMA and other synthetic drugs. The shipments were received at the ports of Hamburg and Rotterdam, then transported to Hungary for storage and further distribution. The network operated in several European countries and was capable of handling large volumes of chemical materials.

The investigation gained momentum in April 2023, when the Hungarian Customs and Tax Authority (NAV) seized 12.7 tonnes of a shipment labelled “magnesium powder” in Sopron, which in fact contained MDMA precursors. Hungarian investigators subsequently uncovered the criminal supply chain and identified the storage facilities in Hungary.

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More than 42 tonnes of drug precursors linked to the network

Last year, Hungary’s Counter-Terrorism Centre (TEK) found 19.1 tonnes of drug precursor chemicals in Budapest’s 10th district. Following a tip-off, German authorities also seized an additional 10.5 tonnes in Hamburg. The total amount could have enabled large-scale drug production.