National hunt for drug criminals begins as new law enters into force in Hungary

Hungary’s new anti-drug law has come into force, enabling the hunt for drug criminals to step up a gear, László Horváth, the government commissioner for eradicating the drugs trade, said in an interview to public radio on Sunday.

The hunt for drug criminals to step up a gear

Under the new law, police will be able to immediately seize the assets and equipment of drug dealers, including apartments and cars, if used for drug dealing and distribution — even if they are registered to another individual. Seized assets will remain in custody during the court proceedings, he noted.

Also, it will be possible to ban drug dealers from the area of drug distribution, while distributing new psychoactive substances is no longer considered a misdemeanor but a criminal offence. Further, a repeat drug offender is not eligible for parole.

Consumption is also a crime

Now consumption is also a crime, though drug-takers who identify the drug dealer or help the police with information will receive a lenient sentence, he said.

Meanwhile, police have been empowered to detain anyone in a public space under the influence of drugs for 72 hours, the government commissioner said. Addicts may be in danger of death or aggressive, so they must be detained for a duration of detox, he added.