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.
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.
The FBI’s New York division highlighted that the operation could also reduce the availability of chemicals used to produce fentanyl in the United States, helping to curb the spread of the deadly substance.
Over 100 officers took part in the raids
On 4 November, the National Bureau of Investigation (KR NNI) carried out raids at nine locations across Budapest and Pest County, involving more than one hundred officers. Five people were detained, four of whom were questioned as suspects. Two men – a Chinese and a Hungarian national – were taken into custody, and one of them has since been formally arrested. The Hungarian suspect is believed to have used his previous customs experience to facilitate the transport of the shipments.
Police also seized 700 grams of suspected narcotics, HUF 43 million (EUR 112,000) in cash, high-value vehicles, bicycles, gym equipment, and a valuable painting. Securities and other assets were also frozen.
Investigation ongoing, further arrests expected
The suspects face charges of facilitating drug production, large-scale money laundering, and embezzlement committed as part of a criminal enterprise.
Authorities said the operation dealt a significant blow to a China-based international network that played a key role in supplying Europe’s drug markets. The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are expected.
It’s amazing how a strict authoritarian state like China seemingly has no ability to stop the export of illegal drug precursors to the Western world.