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Drug Situation: Retail quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine remain readily available in the state of New Hampshire. Dominican narcotics traffickers are the principal distributors of cocaine in the state. Heroin is available in street level quantities in New Hampshire, supplied primarily by Dominican traffickers with bases of operation in the Lowell/Lawrence, MA areas. Marijuana is readily available throughout the state, and it is apparent that marijuana is the predominate drug of choice in the state. Although, the state of New Hampshire experienced a continued growth in availability of methamphetamine within the state in the past few years, reportedly, it appears that availability has now stabilized.

Cocaine: Cocaine HCl and crack cocaine are readily available at the retail level; kilogram quantities of the drug are encountered with less frequency. In recent years, the seacoast region has experienced a significant increase in availability, due in part to its proximity to source areas in Massachusetts, specifically, the Lowell and Lawrence areas. Dominican narcotics traffickers dominate the distribution of cocaine HCl in the state and are supplied by associates in New York and Lowell/Lawrence, MA; however cocaine is brought into the region from Florida and the Mexican border. Cocaine and crack cocaine availability and prices have remained constant.

Heroin: Heroin remains readily available at the retail level and its use is widespread. Heroin sources of supply are located in Lowell, Lawrence and Lynn, MA. The drug’s ultimate source center is New York. Dominican traffickers are the primary distributors of high quality heroin in New Hampshire. The state continues to experience increases in heroin availability. Heroin prices on the retail level have remained stable.

Methamphetamine: The state of New Hampshire experienced a continued growth in availability of methamphetamine in the past few years; however, availability appears to have stabilized. Methamphetamine is available throughout the state. Methamphetamine, which is produced in Mexico, is primarily transported into the state via express mail packages, by common carrier and by privately owned vehicles from the West Coast of the United States. Methamphetamine prices have remained stable.

Club Drugs: Recent seizures in the greater Boston, Massachusetts area, as well as various ongoing investigations conducted by the DEA New England FD Manchester, New Hampshire RO, Bridgeport, Connecticut RO, Hartford, Connecticut RO, and New Bedford, Massachusetts ROs, reveal that MDMA is readily available; however, it is not as widely abused as in the past. MDMA is frequently sold to teenagers and young adults at nightclubs, rave parties and on college campuses. MDMA in powder form has also been encountered in the state. The majority of the MDMA available in the seacoast region originates in New York, NY and is transported into the region via private vehicle for distribution. Canada has also served as a transshipment point for MDMA destined for New Hampshire.

Marijuana: Marijuana is readily available throughout New Hampshire. Marijuana is the predominant drug of choice in the state. Most of the marijuana available in the region is transported from the southwestern U.S. and originates in Mexico with local Caucasian violators traveling weekly or bi-monthly to Arizona and southern California to obtain 200-300 pound quantities of the drug. The marijuana is usually transported into the state via land vehicle. Marijuana is also being shipped in relatively small quantities (20-50 lb. packages) into the state utilizing U. S. and other mail services.

Cannabis is also cultivated within New Hampshire, though not as readily in recent years. Because of the rural nature of the state, particularly in the north, potential growing areas abound and most of the outdoor growers have reduced the size of their plots and increased the variety and scope of their concealment efforts. THC content in excess of 22 percent has been seen in the state.

High grade hydroponic marijuana from Canada is increasingly available in New Hampshire and is smuggled into the state transiting through its shared border with Canada. A variety of smuggling methods have been encountered including concealment in couriers’ backpacks and hockey-type travel bags, helicopter air drops wherein the marijuana wrapped in plastic bags is dropped to individuals waiting on land, and the use of snowmobiles during the winter months. Additionally, the state has seen an increase in indoor marijuana-grow operations operated by Vietnamese DTOs.

Marijuana Legislation: In March 2001, The New Hampshire House of Representatives, by a vote of 223 to 101, rejected a bill that would have legalized marijuana for medical purposes.

Other Drugs: Much of the diversion problem in the state of New Hampshire involves fraudulent prescriptions, dated & duped doctors, mail order pharmaceuticals, illegal and over dispensing, doctor shopping, chemically impaired practitioners, etc. OxyContin® continues to be a pharmaceutical drug of abuse in the state, although a decline in has been reported.

Pharmaceutical Diversion: Hospitals and substance abuse clinics in the states of New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont likewise are noting an increase in addiction to prescription drugs, primarily OxyContin ® while substance abuse clinics in New Hampshire have indicated an increase in addiction to other prescription drugs, such as fentanyl (patches), Suboxone, methadone. Diversion of these drugs are occurring from either the patients reselling their medications or doctors negligently writing large amount of Suboxone ® prescriptions to patients. Several states in New England, to include New Hampshire, have seen a growing trend of underground Internet pharmacies involved in the illicit distribution of controlled substances without a required prescription.

DEA Mobile Enforcement Teams: This cooperative program with state and local law enforcement counterparts was conceived in 1995 in response to the overwhelming problem of drug-related violent crime in towns and cities across the nation. Since the inception of the MET Program, 473 deployments have been completed nationwide, resulting in 19,643 arrests. Since the inception of the program, there has been one MET deployment in the State of New Hampshire, in Hampton.

DEA Regional Enforcement Teams: This program was designed to augment existing DEA division resources by targeting drug organizations operating in the United States where there is a lack of sufficient local drug law enforcement. This program was conceived in 1999 in response to the threat posed by drug trafficking organizations that have established networks of cells to conduct drug trafficking operations in smaller, non-traditional trafficking locations in the United States. As of January 31, 2005, there have been 27 deployments nationwide, and one deployment in the U.S. Virgin Islands, resulting in 671 arrests. There have been no RET deployments in the state of New Hampshire

More information about the New England Division Office.

Sources

Factsheet last updated: 3/2008

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