Counter Terrorism Centre

Counter Terrorism Centre (CTC) (Hungarian: Terrorelhárítási Központ, TEK) is a Hungarian government agency responsible for national and international counter terrorism including detection, prevention and interruption.[3][4][5] The agency has a police tactical unit to respond terrorist incidents and if requested by law enforcement agencies can provide tactical assistance.[4]

For other uses, see Counterterrorism Center (disambiguation).
Counter Terrorism Centre
Terrorelhárítási Központ
Logo of the Counter Terrorism Centre
Logo of the Counter Terrorism Centre
AbbreviationTEK
Agency overview
FormedSeptember 1, 2010
Employees1300 (2022)[1]
Annual budget13.41 billion HUF[2] (61 million $) annually (2013)
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionHungary
Operational structure
HeadquartersZách utca 4.
Budapest, Hungary
Elected officer responsible
Agency executive
  • Brigadier General János Hajdu, Director-General
Website
http://tek.gov.hu/
BTR-80 of the Counter Terrorism Centre

TEK provides personal protection including to the Prime Minister and the President and can also provide an escort for extraditions of dangerous persons to the Hungarian border and from abroad.[3] TEK is under the direct control of the Hungarian Ministry of Interior, headed by Sándor Pintér.[4]

TEK headquarters is located at Zách street (close to Hungária Boulevard), Pál Maléter Barracks, Kőbánya, Budapest, Hungary.[6]

History

TEK was founded by the Second Cabinet of Viktor Orbán on 1 September 2010.[3] According to the Hungarian ombudsman (Máté Szabó), TEK is the most professional, well-financed and well-equipped state agency in the country.[7]

Role

Equipment and vehicles

TEK is using a number of small arms weapons most notably the Glock 17/19,[8] USP, the MP5, the 417[8] and the 416, along with less-lethal options such as Beanbag guns and rubber-bullets, Taser x26, OC spray, CS gas, Flashbang and Expandable batons. Detailed information about the equipment of TEK is not public, but according to the Hungarian media, it uses armoured Audi Q7 luxury SUVs[9] and BTR-80 armoured personnel carriers equipped with police light bars on the roof.[10]

According to Sándor Pintér, the Minister of Interior, TEK does not use tanks.[11]

Notable operations

On 2010 Units of TEK deployed in order to arrest members of extreme BDSM website Mood Pictures in Budapest [12]

On 10 October 2011, during World War Z filming in Budapest, TEK invaded the crew's stores and also seized several guns, sniper rifles etc. which were used for filming. According to the official statement producers failed to consult with the authorities and despite of the import documentation's indication, all weapons were found to be fully functional.[13] Later prosecutor's office dropped the charges in February 2012.[14]

On August 13, 2012, three Hungarian nationals were held hostage by Syrian gunmen in Damascus. A detachment from TEK was deployed to Syria to set free the Hungarians. They arrived in Budapest on August 27, 2012 without injury.[15][16]

In 2015 and 2016 the Europe-wide terrorist attacks and threat resulted in increased funds and constant readiness for TEK. They cooperated with the army and police to secure & patrol Budapest after the March 22 Brussels attacks.

References
  1. "700 ezer forint felett a TEK-es bruttó átlagfizetés". 4 June 2022.
  2. "2014 budget of Hungary compared with the 2013 budget, hirado.hu (Hungarian)". Archived from the original on 2013-12-16. Retrieved 2013-12-16.
  3. "Counter-Terrorism Centre". Constitution Protection Office. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  4. "A TEK irányítása, tevékenysége". Counter Terrorism Centre (in Hungarian). Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  5. "Rendőrség vagy titkosszolgálat?". Index.hu (in Hungarian). 21 April 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  6. "Megalakult a Terrorelhárítási Központ" [The Counter-terrorist Center was founded] (in Hungarian). index.hu. 2010-09-01. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  7. "Az ombudsmant aggasztja a TEK titkos információgyűjtése" [The ombudsman worries about the secret wiretapping of TEK] (in Hungarian). index.hu. 2012-08-22. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  8. Neville 2019, p. 194.
  9. Balázs, Andróczi (2011-04-02). "Audi Q7-esekkel a rosszfiúk ellen?" [Audi Q7 against Bad Guys?] (in Hungarian). totalcar.hu. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  10. Neville 2019, p. 193.
  11. "Nem kap tankokat a TEK" [The TEK will not receive tanks] (in Hungarian). Origo. 2012-08-31. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  12. "Mood Pictures - Hungarian Spanking & BDSM Studio Arrested". TJHotMovies. 2010-02-03. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  13. "Counter-terrorism police seize World War Z machine guns". News.com.au. October 11, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  14. Grossberg, Josh (February 10, 2012). "Brad Pitt's Illegal Gun Cache: Is He Really in Serious Trouble?". E!. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  15. "Hostage crisis in Syria, Magyar Nemzet (Hungarian)". Archived from the original on 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
  16. "Már a TEK vigyáz a Szíriában elrabolt magyarokra" [Now the TEK guards the kidnapped Hungarians] (in Hungarian). HVG. 2012-08-26. Retrieved 5 March 2017.

Bibliography
  • Neville, Leigh (2019). The Elite: The A–Z of Modern Special Operations Forces. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1472824295.
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