To
Contents
To Previous Page
To Next Page
To Publications Page
To Home Page
National Drug Intelligence
Center |
New York-based Colombian and Dominican DTOs are the predominant wholesale distributors of SA heroin and cocaine to the region; Dominican DTOs also distribute wholesale quantities of marijuana. They supply the drugs to Dominican DTOs and criminal groups that distribute midlevel and retail-level quantities of the drugs from the Lowell/Lawrence and Hartford/Springfield distribution hubs and to various other local criminal groups and street gangs that serve as retail-level distributors in communities throughout the region. However, some local Dominican DTOs and African American, Caucasian, and Mexican criminal groups prefer to travel to the New York City metropolitan area to purchase heroin and cocaine directly from Colombian and Dominican wholesale suppliers and then return to New England to sell the drugs to their retail customers.
African American and Hispanic street gangs from New York City and the local area distribute crack cocaine in urban communities throughout the region. Street gang members from New York and the local area use private vehicles or public transportation to transport crack cocaine to urban areas in the region, where they typically set up distribution operations in hotel rooms or the private residences of local female accomplices, and distribute the drug to established customers. Local street gang members typically distribute crack at their established neighborhood distribution sites. Additionally, law enforcement officials report that some African American and Hispanic street gang members from New York City are beginning to base their crack distribution operations in rural areas of the region, where they believe law enforcement resources may be limited.
Asian DTOs distribute Canadian high-potency, hydroponically produced marijuana and synthetic drugs, such as MDMA and methamphetamine tablets, in the NE HIDTA region. These groups operate primarily from the Lowell area and supply Asian, Caucasian, and Hispanic criminal groups involved in retail distribution.
Local independent dealers and OMGs are the primary retail distributors of pharmaceutical drugs in the NE HIDTA region. They generally obtain pharmaceuticals through various diversion methods, such as doctor-shopping, forgery, fraud, and theft as well as over the Internet. Distributors who acquire pharmaceuticals over the Internet obtain supplies from domestic and foreign sources. For example, embossing on OxyContin tablets seized by law enforcement officials in Warwick, Rhode Island, indicated that they were manufactured by Purdue Pharma for limited distribution in Argentina and Brazil. Some distributors retain part of their supply for personal use and distribute the rest to other abusers.
Drug traffickers operating in the NE HIDTA region use commonplace and sophisticated communications technology to facilitate their drug trafficking distribution operations. Traffickers routinely use cell phones, text messaging, the Internet, and other routine communications devices; some also use satellite phones, HF/UHF/VHF radio communications, video surveillance devices, global positioning systems, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and peer-to-peer services. Traffickers routinely change communication methods and use multiple cell phones, or they use a phone for a limited period of time before switching to a new phone with a new phone number to reduce the possibility of call monitoring.
Electronic communications technology enables drug traffickers and street gang members to conduct their activities across cities, states, and countries. Internet-based methods such as social networking sites, encrypted e-mail, Internet telephony,2 and instant messaging as well as prepaid cell phones and prepaid calling cards are commonly used by members of trafficking groups to communicate with one another and with customers. Street gang members often use Internet-based social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube to recruit new members, brag about their activities, or communicate threats. They also use prepaid cell phones (for voice conversations and text messaging), encrypted e-mail, password-protected web sites, and prepaid phone cards to exchange information regarding specific criminal activity, believing that these systems offer greater security and anonymity. Street gang members also use certain Internet telephony services that they feel are secure. In exploiting electronic communications, gang members frequently use their own gang-specific symbols and coded language.
2. Internet telephony enables telephone calls to be placed over the Internet. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is the technology associated with Internet telephony.
To Top To Contents To Previous Page To Next Page
To Publications Page To Home Page
End of page.