Heroin

Heroin is a significant threat to New York. South American heroin is most prevalent; however, Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin also are available. Mexican black tar and brown powdered heroin are sporadically available. New York City is a primary transportation hub and distribution center for significant quantities of heroin. Heroin is transported into New York from source countries by air, land, and maritime conveyances. Colombian DTOs and criminal groups control the transportation of South American heroin into New York; however, they increasingly rely on Dominican DTOs and criminal groups and occasionally Mexican criminal groups to transport South American heroin into the state. Ethnic Chinese criminal groups, principally Fukinese, and West African criminal groups, principally Nigerian, are the primary transporters of Southeast Asian heroin into New York. The primary transporters of Southwest Asian heroin into New York are Pakistani criminal groups. The primary wholesale distributors of heroin in New York are Colombian DTOs and criminal groups. Dominican criminal groups are the dominant retail distributors of heroin in New York; however, a variety of other criminal groups and individuals also sell retail quantities. Retail quantities of heroin typically are sold indoors and less commonly at open-air drug markets and through call-and-deliver services.

Abuse

Heroin is abused at high levels in New York. TEDS data indicate that the number of heroin-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities in New York increased steadily from 29,279 in 1997 to 35,314 in 2001. (See Table 3 in Overview section.) Heroin-related treatment admissions surpassed cocaine-related admissions in 2001. The number of heroin-related treatment admissions per 100,000 population in New York (199) dramatically exceeded the number per 100,000 population nationwide (105) in 1999, the most recent year for which these data are available.

In both New York City and Buffalo, the rate of heroin-related ED mentions--the number per 100,000 population--was dramatically higher than the rate nationwide. In New York City the total number of heroin-related ED mentions decreased from 9,481 in 1997 to 9,218 in 1998, then increased to 11,009 in 2000, decreasing in 2001 to 10,664, according to DAWN. (See Table 7.) During that time the rate per 100,000 population in New York City exceeded the rate per 100,000 population nationwide each year. In Buffalo the number of heroin-related ED mentions was dramatically higher in 2001 (607) than in 1997 (468), and the rate per 100,000 population was higher than the nationwide rate each year during that period.

Source: DAWN.

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Heroin frequently is a factor in drug-related deaths in New York; however, it is rarely the sole cause of death. According to DAWN mortality data, in 2000 there were 194 heroin-related deaths in the New York metropolitan area. One of these deaths involved heroin only, and no deaths were heroin-induced (heroin was the sole cause of death). On Long Island there were 96 heroin-related deaths in 2000. Of these, 10 decedents had only heroin in their system. (The number of heroin-induced deaths was not reported.) In the Buffalo metropolitan area there were 30 heroin-related deaths in 2000. Of these, five had only heroin in their system, and four of the deaths were heroin-induced. (See Text Box in Overview section.)

New York high school students' reported rate of heroin abuse is consistent with that of high school students nationwide. According to YRBS, in 1999--the most recent year for which data representative of high school students in the entire state are available--2.6 percent of the New York high school students reported having abused heroin at least once during their lifetime, compared with 2.4 percent nationwide.

In New York heroin is administered via a variety of methods depending upon users' preferences. According to DEA, novices, recreational abusers, and younger abusers prefer snorting, skin popping (subcutaneous injection) or, to a much lesser extent, smoking heroin because they believe these methods present a reduced risk of contracting needle-borne diseases such as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) and hepatitis. Many of these abusers mistakenly believe that these methods will not lead to addiction. Injecting drug users often share needles and suffer the attendant problems associated with dirty needles.

Heroin abuse is a significant problem in some areas of Upstate New York. According to DEA, individuals seeking methadone treatment at clinics in Buffalo and Rochester are reportedly much younger than abusers who sought treatment in the past. The DEA Albany Resident Office reports that heroin abuse is increasing among young Caucasian individuals who snort the drug.

Heroin is frequently detected among adult male arrestees in New York City. According to ADAM data, 20.5 percent of adult male arrestees tested positive for heroin abuse in New York City in 2000. In Albany 6.5 percent of adult male arrestees tested positive for heroin abuse.

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Availability

Heroin remains readily available in New York. South American heroin is most prevalent; however, Southeast Asian and Southwest Asian heroin are also available. Mexican black tar and brown powdered heroin are sporadically available. According to FDSS data, federal law enforcement officials in New York seized 2,011 kilograms of heroin from 1998 through 2001. The annual seizure amounts fluctuated during that period, and the amount seized in 2001 (801 kilograms) was significantly higher than in 1998 (461 kilograms). (See Table 1 in Overview section.)

The price of heroin available in New York varies depending on the buyer's familiarity with the seller, the location of the sale, and the quantity sold. According to DEA, in New York City South American heroin sold for $65,000 to $80,000 per kilogram, $2,100 per ounce, $70 to $85 per gram, $95 to $107 per bundle (usually 10 bags), and $10 to $14 per bag (50 milligrams) in the first quarter of FY2002. In Upstate New York, where midlevel and retail heroin prices are generally higher, South American heroin sold for $65,000 to $80,000 per kilogram, $5,000 to $6,250 per ounce, $142 to $240 per gram, $125 to $170 per bundle, and $12 to $22 per bag. In the state, Southwest Asian heroin sold for $65,000 to $140,000 per kilogram, and Southeast Asian heroin sold for $40,000 to $80,000 per unit (700 grams), $22,500 per one-half unit, and $90 per gram in the same quarter. The limited amounts of Mexican black tar heroin available in the state typically sold for $200 to $350 per gram.

Heroin purity levels in New York are among the highest in the nation. According to DEA, South American heroin ranges from 85 to 96 percent pure in New York City and 20 to 96 percent pure in Upstate New York depending on the level of distribution. Purity levels for Southeast Asian and Southwest Asian heroin in New York City have been as high as 90 percent. In Upstate New York the purity of Southeast Asian heroin averages 85 percent.

The percentage of federal sentences related to heroin in New York was significantly higher than the national percentage from FY1996 through FY2000. According to USSC data, 29.5 percent of all drug-related federal sentences in New York in FY2000 were heroin-related, compared with 7.7 percent nationwide. (See Table 2 in Overview section.)

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Violence

Heroin abuse normally is not associated with violent behavior, although the overwhelming need to support drug habits drives many heroin abusers to engage in prostitution, drug distribution, theft, burglary, and robbery. Abusers often steal from family members to obtain the funds necessary to purchase heroin. Additionally, heroin distributors sometimes commit violent crimes such as assaults, drive-by shootings, and homicides.

Production

Opium is not cultivated nor is heroin produced in New York. Heroin is smuggled into New York from South America, Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, and Mexico--the four major source regions. Most of the heroin available in New York is South American. Smaller quantities of Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin are also available. Mexican black tar and brown powdered heroin are only sporadically available in New York.

Heroin sold on the street typically is cut and packaged in a glassine envelope or bag known as a "dime bag"--a term derived from the fact that most bags cost $10. Cutting mills are the locations at which the heroin is cut and packaged for retail sale. Many law enforcement authorities report that cutting mills appear to be less common in New York City than in the past, although some investigators dispute this assertion. Most law enforcement authorities report that the cutting mills of previous years are now largely bagging operations at which distributors simply repackage bulk heroin into user quantities without cutting it with other substances. This is a probable reason for the higher purity heroin available on the streets.

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Transportation

New York City is a primary transportation hub for South American, Southeast Asian, and Southwest Asian heroin smuggled into the United States. Colombian DTOs and criminal groups control the transportation of South American heroin into New York, ethnic Chinese and West African criminal groups are the primary transporters of Southeast Asian heroin, and Pakistani criminal groups are the primary transporters of Southwest Asian heroin. These groups transport heroin into New York by air, maritime, and land conveyances. According to EPIC Arrival Zone Seizure Statistics, law enforcement officials in New York seized approximately 1,891 kilograms of heroin transported on commercial aircraft from 1997 through 2001. (See Table 6 in Cocaine section.) The same data indicate that no heroin was seized from maritime vessels from 1997 through 2000; however, federal law enforcement officials seized 54 kilograms of heroin from maritime vessels in 2001.

South American Heroin. Colombian DTOs and criminal groups control the transportation of South American heroin into New York; however, they increasingly rely on Dominican DTOs and criminal groups and occasionally Mexican criminal groups to transport South American heroin into the state. South American heroin is transported to the New York metropolitan area primarily by couriers who conceal heroin internally, strapped to their bodies, or concealed in their luggage. According to DEA, couriers transporting South American heroin are now smuggling 3 to 7 kilograms per trip, significantly more than the previous average of 1 to 3 kilograms per trip.

These couriers frequently arrive on direct flights from Colombia or take indirect flights to New York, typically transiting countries such as Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. They also transport South American heroin through Miami International Airport and other locations. Some couriers take additional flights from Miami to New York, while others transport heroin from Miami to New York in private and commercial vehicles. On March 4, 2002, the Narcotic Borough Queens Major Case Unit arrested two Colombians and seized 5 kilograms of South American heroin hidden in 10 club soda cans. The heroin had been transported in a private vehicle from Florida to the New York metropolitan area. The tops of the 10 club soda cans were carefully removed, replaced by crimping, and sealed with clear silicone making visual detection extremely difficult. Couriers are sometimes given a phone number, a first name, or a pager, and are told to go to a certain location in New York and await contact. In other instances, an individual waits for the courier at the airport. Sometimes a courier is instructed to check into a hotel and then contact an individual waiting for his or her call. Heroin also is transported into New York through package delivery services.

Colombian DTOs and criminal groups increasingly rely on Dominican DTOs and criminal groups and, to a lesser extent, Mexican criminal groups to transport heroin into New York. Federal law enforcement sources report that Dominican DTOs and criminal groups smuggle heroin from South America or intermediate transit areas such as the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico. Mexican criminal groups are transporting South American heroin into New York with greater frequency using traditional smuggling routes across the Southwest Border.

South American heroin occasionally is transported into New York aboard maritime vessels. According to EPIC Arrival Zone Seizure Statistics, law enforcement officials in New York seized no heroin from commercial vessels from 1995 through 1999. (See Table 6 in Cocaine section.) However, in May 2001 DEA and USCS seized 54 kilograms of South American heroin from a ship at the Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island. This shipment was the largest amount of South American heroin ever seized from a commercial vessel in the United States.

Southeast Asian Heroin. Ethnic Chinese criminal groups, principally Fukinese, and West African criminal groups, primarily Nigerian, are the primary transporters of Southeast Asian heroin into New York. Southeast Asian heroin typically is smuggled into New York in containerized cargo and by couriers aboard commercial aircraft. However, some Southeast Asian heroin destined for New York is first smuggled to Vancouver, Canada, from where couriers transport the heroin in luggage to Seattle, Toronto, or Montreal before traveling by train, bus, or private vehicle to New York. DEA officials in Albany report that Asian heroin distributors based in Canada occasionally smuggle heroin into New York through the St. Regis Mohawk Indian Reservation.

Ethnic Chinese criminal groups transport Southeast Asian heroin into the United States aboard maritime vessels. In January 2001 a joint DEA/USCS investigation resulted in the seizure of over 57 kilograms of Southeast Asian heroin at the Port of New York/New Jersey. The heroin was hidden in a shipment of cotton towels originating in Bangkok, Thailand. Almost one-half of the containerized cargo arriving at the Port of New York/New Jersey is transported from Asia to the West Coast of the United States and then transported overland to New York. This large volume of cargo provides an ideal means of concealing Asian heroin shipments.

Nigerian criminal groups based in Thailand typically use couriers on commercial airlines to transport Southeast Asian heroin to New York. They normally use multiple couriers who make numerous hand-offs while traveling circuitous routes to avoid detection. Nigerian criminals groups also transport Southeast Asian heroin to New York and other states via package delivery services.

Southwest Asian Heroin. Pakistani criminal groups are the primary transporters of Southwest Asian heroin into New York. Afghan, Indian, Eastern European, Russian, Turkish, and West African criminal groups also transport Southwest Asian heroin into New York. Most of these groups use air and maritime cargo shipments, package delivery services, and couriers to transport Southwest Asian heroin into New York.

Mexican Heroin. Mexican heroin is seized infrequently in New York and rarely is mentioned in law enforcement reporting. DEA seized small quantities of Mexican heroin in Upstate New York in 2001. The heroin was sent in private vehicles and via package delivery services in small amounts from California to New York and was likely intended for personal use.

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Distribution

New York City is the primary distribution center for South American heroin destined for distribution in New York and other states. DTOs and criminal groups also use New York as a distribution center for smaller quantities of Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin, brokering deals in the city and distributing Asian heroin throughout the state and New Jersey as well as the New England, Great Lakes, and Southeast regions. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials in at least 19 states and the District of Columbia that responded to the NDIC National Drug Threat Survey 2001 reported that New York was a supply area for heroin available in their jurisdictions. Some officials reporting New York City as a supply area for heroin included those in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Charlottesville, Virginia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Colombian DTOs and criminal groups are the primary wholesale distributors of heroin in New York. These DTOs and criminal groups are based primarily in the Jackson Heights section of Queens and supply substantial amounts of heroin from stash sites in Jackson Heights, Westchester County, Long Island, and New Jersey to Dominican and other criminal groups and gangs. According to the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), Colombian DTOs and criminal groups have expanded wholesale operations from Queens to other parts of the New York metropolitan area including Astoria, Corona, Elmhurst, Flushing, Freeport, and Yonkers.

Dominican DTOs and criminal groups based in Washington Heights distribute wholesale quantities of heroin in New York City as well. These DTOs and criminal groups primarily distribute South American heroin; however, they also distribute Southeast Asian and, to a lesser extent, Southwest Asian heroin at the wholesale level in the New York metropolitan area. Dominican wholesale distributors supply high purity heroin to African American, Jamaican, Puerto Rican, Caucasian, and other independent criminal groups. They also have established heroin distribution in cities and towns with large Dominican populations along interstate highways radiating from New York City including Philadelphia and Boston.

Members of traditional organized crime and their associates also sell wholesale quantities of heroin in New York. They usually purchase heroin directly from ethnic Chinese criminal groups and also have purchased heroin directly from suppliers in Southwest Asia and from other criminal groups of various ethnicities.

Dominican criminal groups are the dominant retail distributors of heroin in New York; however, a variety of other criminal groups and individuals also sell retail quantities of heroin. Dominican criminal groups distribute primarily South American heroin, although they also distribute retail quantities of Southeast Asian and, to a lesser extent, Southwest Asian heroin. They occasionally distribute heroin to street gangs such as Ņeta, Latin Kings, and Bloods who then distribute retail quantities.

In Upstate New York Hispanic--primarily Dominican and Puerto Rican--and African American criminal groups are the primary heroin distributors. They supply gangs and independent retail distributors in cities such as Binghamton, Buffalo, Rochester, Schenectady, and Syracuse. Dealers in Upstate New York often purchase heroin in Bronx, Manhattan, or Westchester and then return to their homes via automobile, bus, or train. Abusers in Upstate New York often pool their money for a large purchase and then travel to New York City to purchase heroin. Most of the heroin sold Upstate has been first cut and packaged in New York City. It may be cut again and repackaged before distribution Upstate.

Bulk quantities of heroin are frequently cut with diluents such as lactose, milk sugar, sucrose, cellulose, and mannitol or adulterants such as acetaminophen, caffeine, lidocaine, procaine, and quinine. However, law enforcement officials in the state report that some retail distributors are repackaging uncut heroin before selling it, thus contributing to higher purity levels. Retail quantities of heroin typically are sold indoors and less commonly at open-air drug markets and through call-and-deliver services. Retail dealers generally limit the amount of heroin in their possession as a precaution against seizure or theft.

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