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U.S. Department of Justice
National Drug Intelligence Center
Lake County HIDTA Drug Market Analysis 2010
April 2010
Marijuana is the most widely abused illicit drug in the Lake County HIDTA region. According to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Department of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA), more individuals received treatment for marijuana abuse than for cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine abuse through the Hoosier Assurance Plan (HAP) in Lake County in 2009.b (See Table 1.) Nonetheless, law enforcement and public health officials report increasing concern about heroin abuse. DMHA data indicate that the number of individuals receiving treatment for heroin abuse through HAP in Lake County reached a 5-year high in 2009, a 70 percent increase from 2008.
Table 1. Individuals Receiving Drug Abuse Treatment Services in Lake County Through the Hoosier Assurance Plan, by Drug, 2005-2009*
| Year | Cocaine | Heroin | Marijuana | Meth- amphetamine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 434 | 316 | 460 | 5 |
| 2006 | 465 | 321 | 506 | 5 |
| 2007 | 419 | 258 | 474 | 6 |
| 2008 | 311 | 216 | 466 | 1 |
| 2009 | 363 | 368 | 657 | 5 |
Source: Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Department of Mental Health and Addiction.
*Data are compiled by state fiscal year (July 1 through June 30).
Adolescent drug abuse rates are higher in Northwest Indiana than they are statewide. According to Indiana Prevention Resource Center 2009 survey data, twelfth-grade students in Northwest Indiana (Lake, Jasper, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, and Starke Counties (see Figure 1) report higher rates of lifetime, annual, and monthly use of most illicit drugs than their peers statewide. (See Table 2.)
Table 2. Percentage of Twelfth-Grade Students Reporting Lifetime Drug Use, by Drug, Northwest Region of Indiana, Compared With Statewide Data, 2009
| Cocaine | Crack | Heroin | Marijuana | MDMA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Indiana | 7.2 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 41.1 | 9.3 |
| Statewide | 6.6 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 36.8 | 5.9 |
Source: Indiana Prevention Resource Center.
Bulk cash smuggling is the primary method used by Mexican traffickers to move drug proceeds from the HIDTA region to Mexico. Bulk cash is often transported to Chicago for consolidation and then concealed in hidden compartments of private and commercial vehicles and transported to the Southwest Border and Mexico.
Traffickers use other methods to launder illicit drug proceeds in the Lake County HIDTA region. Money services businesses such as money remitters and check-cashing firms are plentiful in Lake County and are often used by traffickers to launder illicit drug proceeds. These businesses allow customers to move proceeds outside the United States with relative anonymity in amounts below the threshold set by the Bank Secrecy Act. Local traffickers also purchase small, cash-based businesses such as car washes, clothing stores, and hair and nail salons that they use to commingle illicit proceeds with legitimate funds. Many traffickers launder drug proceeds through the purchase of luxury items such as jewelry, expensive vehicles, and real estate. In addition, some traffickers use the four casino boats in Lake County to launder drug proceeds.
b. HAP is a mental health services plan funded by the state of Indiana to provide mental health and addiction services to low-income individuals in the state.
UNCLASSIFIED
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