HUNGARY

Tackling transnational crime in Hungary

Hungary is a landlocked country at the heart of Europe, sharing borders with seven other countries. This strategic geographic location makes it attractive to organized crime networks wanting to traffic illicit goods, especially drugs and people.

Several international organized crime groups operate in Hungary, controlling most of the country’s crime, particularly prostitution, vehicle crime, and trafficking in human beings and drugs. These bring associated crimes such as money laundering and firearms trafficking.

The threat to Hungary from cybercrime is also transnational in nature, originating principally from Northern Asia and Eastern Europe; it requires therefore a national response that is globally tailored.

INTERPOL in Hungary

Given that these organized crimes are orchestrated from other countries and regions, the role of INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Budapest is central to safeguarding national and regional security.

The NCB is part of the International Law Enforcement Cooperation Centre (ILECC) which is the national crime investigations branch of the national police force. ILECC is the lead agency for international police cooperation involving Hungary.

NCB Budapest works with police forces across the globe in tackling the transnational crime groups which affect Hungary. It monitors emerging regional trends in cooperation with NCBs across the globe, and works with police in the region for global police operations, sharing national intelligence to help shape the global picture.

Hungarian national law enforcement

Law enforcement services in Hungary are provided by two principal agencies:

• The National Police, which is under the command of the Ministry of Interior and includes the border police;
• National Tax and Customs Office, which is under the command of the Ministry of National Economy.

The national police headquarters is located in a famous glass building called ‘The Police Palace’.