Hungary police seek drug dealing charges against 2 Dutch men

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - Hungarian police on Wednesday recommended filing drug dealing charges against two Dutch men arrested in August at a popular music festival.

Budapest police said they found 20 kilograms of pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes and ecstasy pills with a street value of around 100 million forints ($335,000), most of it stashed away in a small van they were using and which was parked outside the festival grounds.

While the suspects had a key to the car in their possession, they refused to reveal its location to police, who only found the vehicle following their detention and after consulting with their Dutch colleagues.

Police Col. Gabor Obbagy said the suspects, whose case has been forwarded to prosecutors and have denied the charges, could face prison terms of between five and 10 years, though life sentences were also a possibility.

Both men, who were 21 and 22 years old when caught on Aug. 6 at the Sziget Festival in Budapest, remain under arrest and their case will be tried in Hungary. One of the suspected drug dealers is promising Dutch sprinter Roelf Bouwmeester.

Among the articles also seized in the bust were small bags, price lists and other elements used to sell the drugs. Police said the drugs equalled around 20,000 doses, which they said would be enough to supply about half the concertgoers on a typical day at the festival.

Regarding the origin of the drugs, Obbagy said that the suspects reaveled only that they weren't from Hungary. Oabbagy added that authorities were not able to determine how many drugs the two suspects had sold before they were detained not long after the start of the festival.