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National Drug Intelligence Center


Title:

Heroin in the Northeast

A Regional Drug Threat Assessment

Publication Date: August 2003

Document ID: 2003-L0390H-001

Archived on:  January 1, 2006. This document may contain dated information. It remains available to provide access to historical materials.

This strategic assessment addresses the heroin situation in the Northeast region, which, for the purposes of this report, includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. It contains findings derived through detailed analysis of the most recently available reporting from law enforcement, intelligence, and public health agencies.

Your questions, comments, and suggestions for future subjects are welcome at any time.  Addresses are provided at the end of the page.


Contents

Executive Summary

Scope

Overview

Abuse

Availability

Transportation
   South American Heroin
   Southeast Asian Heroin
   Southwest Asian Heroin

Distribution

Heroin in Key Cities
   Baltimore
   Boston
   New York
   Philadelphia
   Pittsburgh
   Washington, D.C.

Outlook

Sources


Executive Summary

Heroin poses one of the most significant drug threats to the Northeast region of the United States. Distribution and abuse of the drug are widespread and increasing significantly, particularly in suburban and rural communities. Treatment data indicate that heroin-related admissions to publicly funded facilities in the Northeast increased by more than 28,000 between 1999 and 2001. High-purity South American heroin is the most prevalent type available; however, Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and, to a much lesser extent, Mexican black tar heroin and brown powdered heroin also are available. New York City serves as a primary market area for heroin in the Northeast. Several other northeastern cities including the greater Boston area, Baltimore, Newark, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., also play prominent roles in regional heroin distribution. Colombian and Dominican drug trafficking organizations and criminal groups control most of the wholesale-level distribution of South American heroin in the Northeast. Asian and Nigerian criminal groups are the primary wholesale-level distributors of Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin. Dominican criminal groups are the primary retail distributors throughout the Northeast; however, numerous other retail heroin distributors also are active. 

  

Scope

This strategic assessment addresses the heroin situation in the Northeast region, which, for the purposes of this report, includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. It contains findings derived through detailed analysis of the most recently available reporting from law enforcement, intelligence, and public health agencies.


Addresses

National Drug Intelligence Center
319 Washington Street, 5th Floor
Johnstown, PA 15901

Tel. (814) 532-4601
FAX (814) 532-4690
E-mail NDIC.Contacts@usdoj.gov

National Drug Intelligence Center
8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1001
McLean, VA 22102-3840

Tel. (703) 556-8970
FAX (703) 556-7807

Web Addresses

ADNET:  http://ndicosa 
      DOJ:  http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/
      LEO:  home.leo.gov/lesig/ndic/ 


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