The most famous city in the world and the place to people from almost every country is New York . Everyone coming from abroad to settle down in United State would normally be looking to settle down in New York . It is the home to millions of people from all across the earth. However, it is also home to the most active drug trafficking organizations of the world. You might be thinking about what makes New York , such a suitable place for drug trafficking base camp? The fact, that New York City is the home to the richest people of United States . Drugs have been a part of the normal Life of New York since the early 80's.
Drug addiction is New York is considered as one of the highest among all the other states in United States . In 2003, New York was second amongst the list of "most drug consuming state". Delray recovery center is actively working for people in New York to help curb this never ending cancer of drugs. It would be true to say that the real war on terror should be against these easily accessible drugs in every corner of United States . Drug addiction has now spread throughout the world and it seems to be a never ending dilemma. However, we should continue our fight against the drugs and hope to overcome this disease soon.
New York City has long been home to numerous drug trafficking organizations. The city's large, diverse, multi-class population creates a demand that these organizations are more than willing to serve. New York City also acts as the source for organizations that smuggle drugs to other East Coast destinations and to Canada and Europe .
During 2007, the New York area experienced a fluctuation in cocaine prices and at times, limited cocaine availability. Colombian and Mexican drug trafficking organizations are the primary transporters and distributors of wholesale amounts of cocaine in New York . These traffickers smuggle cocaine to New York in multi-kilogram shipments via tractor-trailers, containerized cargo, and mail services and then distribute the cocaine in smaller amounts through many networks in the metropolitan area. New York City based cocaine distribution organizations also serve as the source of supply to organizations operating throughout the eastern United States . Most of the cocaine entering New York is transported in vehicles and tractor-trailers from large distributions centers in border areas ( Arizona , California , Florida , and Texas ). In December 2007, Julio Cesar LOPEZ-PENA, a high-ranking member of the notorious Norte Valle Cartel in Colombia who was extradited from Colombia to New York , was found guilty of conspiracy to import cocaine into the U.S. LOPEZ-PENA, participated in the shipment of multi-ton quantities of cocaine, worth an estimated $100 million dollars, to the United States between 1998 and 2003.
Cocaine is also a significant problem in Albany and western New York State . Most cocaine distributors in the Albany area have connections to sources in New York City , but some Albany distributors have direct links with organizations in Florida and Puerto Rico .
Crack cocaine is readily available in economically depressed areas in all major New York cities, along with some suburban and semi-rural areas, and is occasionally a source of violence in upstate cities. Such violence usually occurs when new dealers challenge more established dealers over territory. Crack cocaine is typically transported in the form of powdered cocaine and converted into crack by area distributors.
Heroin is readily available from Colombian and Dominican organizations operating in the New York metropolitan area. Most of the heroin available is of South American origin and Colombia-based traffickers bring some of the purest heroin in the world to the streets of New York , utilizing the same distribution methods and money-laundering techniques they perfected in capturing the cocaine market. In some cases, the same organizations are distributing both cocaine and heroin. Much of the Colombian heroin is smuggled into New York by couriers and ingesters arriving at JFK Airport , on direct flights from Colombia , or after stopovers in Central or South America , or the Caribbean . Colombian heroin trafficking organizations have also developed increasingly sophisticated smuggling methods, including use of cargo shipments, soaking heroin into clothing, secreting them in shoes, furniture, and golf bags, as well as chemically impregnating heroin into plastic, which is then molded into common shapes. The heroin is subsequently recovered using chemical extraction processes.
During March 2007, eleven individuals in New York and Colombia were arrested for their participation in one of the largest Colombian heroin trafficking organizations in the United States . DEA estimates that from mid-2006 to the present, the organization was responsible for shipping more than 250 kilograms of heroin from Colombia to the U.S. The investigation, "Operation Eliminacion," revealed that the traffickers transported their heroin from Colombia to the United States , primarily through Panama and Guatemala . The heroin was concealed in various ways, including inside packages of red kidney beans, which were then resealed in their original cellophane wrappers, inside the beads of beaded beach bags, inside trailer hitches that had been opened and resealed, and inside automotive drive shafts. During the course of the investigation, on seven occasions federal agents seized heroin with a total street value of approximately $24 million.
Colombian heroin is also smuggled to New York via Mexico and then by vehicle from the southwest United States , similar to the cocaine route. The heroin trafficking and abuse problem is increasing in upstate New York . Dealers in upstate regions often buy heroin in New York City and then return to their home areas via auto, bus, or train. Currently, some of the high-purity products are finding their way directly to users who are often unaccustomed to the strength.
In October 2007, Haji Baz MOHAMMAD, the first defendant ever extradited to the United States from Afghanistan , was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for managing an international narcotics trafficking organization that imported millions of dollars of heroin into the United States .
Methamphetamine trafficking and abuse in New York State is a less serious problem when compared to heroin, cocaine, crack, and MDMA. New York has a somewhat bifurcated methamphetamine market. In the New York City area, the market is primarily for crystal methamphetamine. Much of the methamphetamine seen in NYC was produced by Mexico and/or California based Mexican methamphetamine trafficking organizations. The upstate New York market is primarily methamphetamine powder supplied by local clandestine labs. During 2007, NYS experienced a dramatic decrease in methamphetamine laboratories. The New York State Intelligence Center (NYSIC) reported 12 methamphetamine laboratory seizures/incidents in New York in 2007, down from 36 laboratory seizures/incidents reported in 2006.
In March 2007, the New York Field Division (NYFD) arrested William FOUSSE for violating the Combat Methamphetamine Act (CMEA) of 2005 by purchasing over 9 grams of pseudoephedrine in a month's time. This was the nation's first arrest for violating the Combat Methamphetamine Act of 2005 .The CMEA of 2005 was signed into law on March 9, 2006 to regulate, among other things, retail over-the-counter sales of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine products which are common ingredients found in cough, cold, and allergy products. Retail provisions of the CMEA include daily sales limits and 30-day purchase limits, placement of product out of direct customer access, sales logbooks, customer ID verification, employee training and self-certification of regulated sellers. The CMEA was passed because those drugs are precursor chemicals used in the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine or amphetamine.
In June 2007 under Operation PILL CRUSHER, the NYFD announced the arrest of ten individuals charged with crimes related to purchasing in excess of the 9-gram monthly limit of medications containing pseudoephedrine, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine (Scheduled Listed Chemical Products) as specified by the CMEA of 2005.
MDMA (Ecstasy) continues to be available throughout New York State . Belgium , the Netherlands and Canada remain the main locations for manufacturing and exporting MDMA. MDMA is smuggled into the U.S. via body carriers, overnight mail and air/sea cargo. Israeli drug traffickers initially dominated the MDMA trade. Due to the large profits to be made from MDMA trafficking, other criminal groups are now importing and distributing significant quantities of MDMA. Asian drug trafficking organizations based in Canada are becoming prominent in the MDMA trade. Other MDMA trafficking groups include, but are not limited to: Dominican traffickers, Russian traffickers, Mexican traffickers, Colombian traffickers, and traditional organized crime groups. Almost all MDMA pills are sold with logos, creating brand names for users to seek out. In August 2007, a U.S Military Officer was sentenced to 17 years in prison for charges relating to the importation of Ecstasy on board a U.S. Air Force plane. Other club drugs, such as GHB and ketamine, while available, are less prominent problems in New York City .
Most of the marijuana entering the New York City area, and some upstate regions, is of Mexican origin, smuggled primarily by auto/truck transport from the Southwestern United States . Traffickers also use containerized cargo and mail/parcel delivery services, such as Federal Express and United Parcel Service to smuggle marijuana into New York . Large shipments of marijuana also arrive in New York from Jamaica , and are then distributed by Jamaican trafficking organizations. High-quality hydroponic marijuana is smuggled into the U.S. from Canada , often via the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation situated along the U.S./Canadian border. Indoor marijuana grows are becoming more prevalent in the New York City area. Some of these indoor grows are highly sophisticated and are designed to yield substantial quantities of high potency marijuana.
Steroids trafficking and steroid abuse continue to be a problem in the New York area. Steroid trafficking groups often use the internet to facilitate their illegal activities. The NYFD contributed to "Operation RAW DEAL", the largest steroid enforcement action in U.S. history. This international case targeted the global underground trade of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone (HGH) and insulin growth factor (IGF). As part of this investigation, in September 2007, the NYFD seized two underground steroid laboratories in New York called "Bodiez by Design" and "Strong Island Underground" and over 1.1 million dosage units of steroids and ancillary drugs in liquid and pill form. The New York defendants advertised steroids for sale on the Internet and shipped them to customers across the country by mail, directing customers to pay for the steroids in such a way as to mask the parties' identities and the nature of the transactions.
Khat is a plant cultivated in Kenya and Ethiopia . The leaves of the plant are usually chewed and held in the cheek. Khat produces feelings of euphoria and stimulation. however side effects include anorexia, heart disease and hallucinations. In July 2006, as part of Operation Somalia Express, law enforcement authorities seized 25 tons of khat worth more than $2 million that was destined for the United States from the Horn of Africa.
Current investigations indicate that hydrocodone products and OxyContin are the most commonly abused pharmaceutical drugs in the New York area. The most common methods of diversion in New York are: "doctor shopping" (going to a number of doctors to obtain prescriptions for controlled pharmaceuticals), forged prescriptions, and theft. Methadone, benzodiazepines (such as alprazolam and diazepam), and fentanyl were also identified as being among the most commonly abused and diverted pharmaceuticals in New York .
In March 2007, Howard TOCHIK, the owner of TERRACE PHARMACY, was arrested along with 27 other members of a pharmaceutical drug ring operating in Nassau and Queens Counties . TERRACE PHARMACY sold nearly twice the amount Vicodin as the average pharmacy in the United States in 2005 and almost three times more than the average pharmacy in New York State during the same period.
In July, a consent judgment was filed against BELLCO DRUG CORPORATION of North Amityville , New York , a distributor of pharmaceuticals, for failing to report suspicious orders of controlled substances to Internet pharmacies. Pursuant to the terms of the consent judgment, Bellco has paid a civil penalty of $800,000 and has agreed to surrender its DEA registration, which authorized the distribution of controlled substances.
State Facts
Population: 19,306,183
State Prison Population: 63,315
Probation Population: 123,418
Violent Crime Rate
National Ranking: 21
2007 Federal Drug Seizures
Cocaine: 2099 kgs.
Heroin: 257.7kgs
Methamphetamine: 2.1 kgs.
Marijuana: 2,940.5 kgs.
Hashish: 3 kgs
MDMA: 0.6 kgs/159,831 du
Methamphetamine Laboratories: 12 (DEA, state, and local)
|
