Ministry of Internal Affairs III

History

The Ministry of Interior created Department II in order to replace the State Protection Authority in 1956 as the Political Investigation Department, which operated from 1956 to 1962. The department was further reorganized under András Tömpe because of a scandal that involved a Hungarian military officer named Béla Lapusnyik, who sought asylum to the West through Austria in May 1962. From 1962 to 1964, the state security structure was reorganized with the renaming of the department as MIA III.

According to a statement made by János Kenedi on January 1, 1971, the department had 3,975 staff members, with 242 members serving in the III/III Department. The statement also mentioned that around 11,000 to 17,000 MIA III officers were also working in the department.

In 1978, Section 261 of the Hungarian Criminal Code came into effect, providing legal measures against terrorism. In 1979, the department was instructed by the Hungarian Interior Ministry to work with the Rendőrség as terrorism was made a state security task. Department III/II-8 was tasked to take command of sections involved in fighting against terrorism, including Departments III/I, III/II, III/III and III/IV.

In the early 1980s, reorganization of the entire state security apparatus took place as a response to the increasing number of tasks. Department III/I-8 was divided into Department III/II-9 and Department III/II-10. Department III/II-9 was tasked with warrants. Department III/II-10, which was formed from the former sub-departments III/II-8-B and C, was tasked with controlling tourism and terrorism, with counterterrorism being specifically the task of sub-department III/II-10-A. Department III/II-10 also worked with the Action Subsection of the Rendőrség to conduct periodic raids against Turkish and Arabic individuals suspected of terrorism, arresting, expelling, and initiating criminal procedures against them with the aim of forcing them from the country. By 1987, Ministry of the Interior agencies had compiled files on the Organization of International Revolutionaries (OIR), Abu Nidal Organization, Grey Wolves, and Muslim Brotherhood.

Hungarian authorities had mixed relations with terrorist groups in the 1980s. Various international terrorists found temporary refuge or attempted to establish bases of operation in Hungary in the 1970s and 80s, such as Basque, Turkish, Kurdish, Irish, and other groups, though they were surveilled. Some organizations were provided state support, such as T-34 tanks and training given to the Palestinian Liberation Front in 1979, though its leader Muhammad Zaidan was forced out of Hungary after the Achille Lauro hijacking in 1985. Venezuelan terrorist Carlos the Jackal was allowed to operate from headquarters in Budapest during the early half of the 1980s, though state security closely surveilled him under confidential investigation C-79 and attempted to persuade him to leave.

After Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's headquarters in Munich was bombed by Carlos on February 21, 1981, and with pressure from the United States, MIA III worked with Czechoslovak and East German intelligence to curb Carlos' activities throughout Eastern Europe and eventually drive him and his group out of Hungary in 1985. MIA III was also involved in removing ANO's Hungarian base in 1986, likely due to pressure from the US, in confidential investigation N-86. The change from state tolerance to intolerance of terrorists during the 1980s was due to politics. As Hungary opened foreign relations with non-communist countries, including Israel, and pressure from the Soviet Union decreased, the threat of terrorism against Hungarians grew, as did the counterterrorism department. In 1989, it collaborated fully with Japanese and South Korean agencies in an investigation of the Japanese Red Army.

In January 1990, the department was disbanded. The Military Intelligence Office and the Military Security Office were the first post-communist intelligence agencies to be created as the successor to MIA III.

Structure

MIA III was organized in the Hungarian Interior Ministry with the following structure:

Department III/1 (Intelligence)

III/I-1: Intelligence against the US and other international organizations

III/I-2: Foreign Intelligence

III/I-3: Intelligence against West Germany

III/I-4: Intelligence against the Vatican, Israel and Church Emigration

III/I-5: Scientific and Technical Intelligence

III/I-6: Information, Evaluation and Analysis

III/I-7: Intelligence against émigré groups

III/I-8: Intelligence and employment of illegal residencies

III/I-9: Documentation

III/I-10: Personal affairs, training and methodology

III/I-11: Intelligence against third-party countries

III/I-12: Connections, Registration, Finances and other related tasks

III/I-13: National Encryption Center, including encryption/decryption operations

III/I-X: Organization of operational connection

III/I-Y: Security on foreign missions and residencies

Department III/2 (Counter-Intelligence)

III/II-1: Counter-Intelligence against the US and Latin America

III/II-2: Counter-Intelligence against Austria and West Germany

III/II-3: Counter-Intelligence against NATO and neutral countries

III/II-4: Counter-Intelligence against Middle Eastern and Far East Asian countries

III/II-5: Cross-border operational measures

III/II-6: Protective measures for military industries, transport, communications, authorities and ministries

III/II-7: Responses to areas under international cooperation

III/II-8: Protective measures for field of tourism and for Hungarians returning with amnesty

III/II-9: Analysis, evaluation and information

III/II-10: International cooperation and responses in third country

III/II-11: News communication, operational records and supplies

Department III/3 (Internal Reaction & Sabotage)

III/III-1: Operates usually together with Department III/I against churches/religious sects, including former priests/monks in émigré groups

III/III-1-a: Internal Reaction against the Roman Catholic Church

III/III-1-b: Internal Reaction against Roman Catholic Church leaders and institutes

III/III-1-c: Internal Reaction against Protestant and other religious groups

III/III-2: Preventive measures with young people in universities, colleges, youth clubs, galleries, etc.

III/III-2-a: Preventive measures in higher education institutions

III/III-2-b: Operations against anti-youth reaction forces

III/III-3: Controlling activities against persons deemed dangerous

III/III-3-a: Inspection of F files, mostly on former political prisoners

III/III-3-b: Checks against flyers and graffiti

III/III-4: Countermeasures against opposition groups

III/III-4-a: Proceedings against radical opponents

III/III-4-b: Surveillance on Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (HSWP) officials, Trotskyists and pseudo-leftists

III/III-4-c: Countermeasurse against national opposition groups

III/III-5: Protection of cultural property

III/III-5-a: Preventive measures against Hungarian Radio and Television, MTI, MUOSZ and the Writers' Association

III/III-5-b: Preventive measures against groups associated with fine arts, music, museums, theaters, circuses, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, film, universities, colleges, homosexuals and demonstrations against the Bős-Nagymaros dam.

III/III-6: Prevention operations of hostile propaganda material

III/III-7: Reporting service, internal troubleshooting, data warehouse and record keeping

III/III-A: Protection operations for HSWP officials

III/III-B: Independent analysis, evaluation and information

Department III/4 (Military Response)

III/IV-1: Responsive measures to Central Bodies and forces under General Staff of the Hungarian People's Army and to the Military Areas of the Ministries

III/IV-2: Responsive measures to Areas of the Central Bodies of the Ministry of Defense, Armed Forces Headquarters, institutions and subordinate forces

III/IV-3: Preventive measures in 5th Army

III/IV-4: Preventive measures in air defense

III/IV-5: Preventive measures in 3rd Corps

III/IV-6: Preventive measures in Hinterland Headquarters

III/IV-7: Preventive measures in Border Guard Area

III/IV:

Coordination subdivision on escaped soldiers and civilian staff, planning and implementation of central control

Evaluation, Analysis, Data Processing and Propaganda Department

Battlefield preparation subdivision - Intelligence in the expected areas of application of the Hungarian People's Army (Italy, Austria)

Organizational, mobilization and news subdivision

Department III/5 (Technical Operations)

III/V-1: Class K Inspections

III/V-2: Chemistry, printing technology and document production

III/V-3: Maintenance and operation of operational and technical equipment

III/V: Independent evaluation, monitoring, expert and economic subdivisions

Department III/1 (Investigation Division)

III/1-A: Counter-espionage

III/1-B: Internal Reaction preventive measures

III/1-C: Military matters

III/1-D: Evaluation, analysis and records

III/1-E: Legal opinions and resolution

III/1-F: Prison operations and networks

III/1-G: Watchkeeping

III/2: Operational Monitoring and Environmental Analysis Department

III/3: Postal Items Intercepts

III/4: Information, Evaluation and International Relations Department (Regular Intercepts)

III/5: Radio Response Department

III/6: Personnel Department

Heads

Mátyás László (November 1956 – February 15, 1957)

Horváth Gyula (February 16, 1957 – February 1958)

Galambos József (February 13, 1958 – March 15, 1961)

Németi József (March 15, 1961 – August 15, 1962)

Galambos József (15 August 1962 – 1966)

Rácz Sándor (3 December 1966 – 19 November 1970)

Rácz Pál (20 November 1970 – 31 December 1973)

Karasz Lajos (1974 – 1982)

Földesi Jenő (1 August 1982 – 30 April 1985)

Harangozó Szilveszter (1 May 1985 – 30 April 1989)

Pallagi Ferenc (1989 – 1990)