On April 13, 2023, the Berettyóújfalu District Court held a preparatory session in the case of the six defendants who were charged by the prosecutor’s office for the crime of drug trafficking committed in a criminal conspiracy and other crimes.
At the preparatory meeting, the prosecutor presented the indictment and, in the event of a confession and a waiver of the right to a trial, made a moderate motion regarding the content of the punishment for the defendants.
The third, fifth, and sixth defendants confessed at the preparatory meeting, admitted to the crime they were charged with, and waived their right to trial. The court found the third-degree defendant guilty of the crime of abusing a new psychoactive substance committed in a criminal conspiracy, the fifth-degree defendant of the crime of drug possession by acquisition, and the sixth-degree defendant of the misdemeanor of abusing a small amount of a new psychoactive substance. Therefore, the district court sentenced the third-rate defendant – in accordance with the prosecutor’s moderate motion – to 4 years in prison and banned him from practicing public affairs for 4 years, and also ordered the confiscation of his assets up to HUF 420,000. The court sentenced the fifth defendant to 2 years in prison, banned him from practicing public affairs for 2 years, and also ordered the subsequent execution of his 8-month prison sentence imposed in a previous final judgment, as he committed this act while under a suspended sentence. The court sentenced the sixth-ranked defendant to 7 months in prison, the execution of which was suspended for a 2-year probationary period.
In their case, the prosecution took note of the court’s decision, while the third and fifth accused appealed for relief. The sixth defendant took note of the verdict, so it became final in his case.
At the preparatory meeting, the first-, second-, and fourth-order defendants did not waive their right to trial, in their case the court referred the case to trial and the evidentiary procedure began in the case.
According to the indictment, the first- and second-order defendants are relatives, the fourth-order defendant is the adopted son of the first-order defendant, while the first- and third-order defendants knew each other from before. Since May 2021, the first-rate defendant has been operating a buffet cart in a settlement in Hajdú-Bihar, in the area of his residence, where the fourth-rate defendant worked as a counter. In March 2020, the first-rate defendant agreed with the third-rate defendant in the case that the man would purchase the new psychoactive crystalline substance, which they only called “active”, which the first-rate defendant would then resell at a profit. The first-order defendant also agreed with the second-order defendant in May 2021 that the second-order defendant would acquire amphetamine, which he later sold to the first-order defendant, who also sold it on for money. The drug dealers came into the police’s sight, and then the raid took place on December 19, 2021, when the second-order defendant was just giving the fourth-order defendant amphetamine, which he had brought to the first-order defendant – according to the indictment.
During the drug trade, the first-rate defendant performed the controlling and organizing role, he consulted with the second-and third-rate defendants about when, what quantity and type of substance he needed, what the consumers’ needs were, and what could be sold. In several cases, the consumers consulted with the first-rate defendant about the presence of this narcotic substance, at what price and where it can be bought. It was the duty of the fourth defendant to provide assistance in dispensing the drugs, and after the opening of the buffet cart in May 2021, he already sold the unpacked “product” from it to the consumers.
According to the indictment, the first- and third-order defendants dissolved the purchased powder called “active” containing a new psychoactive substance with nail polish remover, then mixed it with tobacco, while the customers inhaled the crystalline drug through their noses or administered it intravenously. For this, the first-rate defendant even sold syringes in the buffet car. If required, the first-rate defendant even undertook home delivery.
The second-order defendant in the case also sold to the fifth-order defendant a substance containing amphetamine, which the police found and confiscated in the refrigerator during the search of the man’s apartment as part of the series of measures on December 19, 2021.
The criminal trial will continue on May 23, 2023.
Court of Debrecen
