Heroin: Heroin is the most prevalent drug of abuse in the New Jersey area. Data provided by the State of New Jersey Department of Human Services – Division on Addiction Services disclosed that heroin is used by 18-25 year olds in New Jersey at more than twice the national average. Heroin accounted for more than 22,751 treatment admissions in 2006. This was 41% of all treatment admissions, with a three percent decrease from 2005.
Heroin’s high purity (among the highest in the nation as evidenced by the Domestic Monitor Program analyses) and low price has attracted numerous new users over the last few years, especially among adolescents in suburban areas. Although there has been a steady decrease in purity levels since 2003, heroin purity levels in the Newark area continue to be among the highest in the nation.
In April 2006, an increase in fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses was noticed by first responders and medical personnel in New Jersey. This increase has been linked to fentanyl. Fentanyl is commonly used for anesthesia and pain relief in medical settings; however, the current overdoses are associated with non-pharmaceutical fentanyl, manufactured in illegal labs. There have been at least 133 deaths related to the use of non-pharmaceutical fentanyl in New Jersey since mid-April. Although the majority of the overdoses were in the southern part of the state, some reached as far north as Morris County.
The New Jersey Division initiated an Intelligence Gathering Initiative, “Operation Undertaker.” Operation Undertaker sought to identify areas throughout the State of New Jersey where the precursor chemicals, necessary to manufacture fentanyl, are being delivered, and to also provide a general awareness to the public of the dangers of fentanyl. The New Jersey Division has made numerous contacts with other State and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, Medical Examiner Offices, Colleges, and Pharmaceutical Companies in order to “Educate, Protect, and Respond” to the fentanyl situation, and monitor those precursor chemicals commonly used with fentanyl in the illicit market. Some areas, such as Morris County, have seen a rise in overdoses and overdose deaths.
Since the inception of Operation Undertaker, the trend of fentanyl-laced heroin has taken a downturn.
Heroin routinely arrives in the New Jersey metropolitan area primarily from South America, with transshipment from Mexico, Aruba, Curacao, Puerto Rico and countries in Central America. Heroin is routinely packaged in glassine envelopes with a brand name stamped on it. Ten glassine envelopes are referred to as a “bundle” and 50 glassines are a “brick.” Distribution points primarily remain open-air markets or street corners in lower income areas of urban cities such as Newark, Paterson, Camden, Jersey City, and Elizabeth. Southeast Asian and Southwest Asian heroin is encountered on a very limited basis. Some Nigerians or other West African drug organizations have been known to smuggle heroin from Europe and West Africa through Newark Liberty International Airport.
Air and land transportation, both personal and commercial, are the principal means used to smuggle heroin into the state. The majority of the heroin is smuggled in from Colombia via couriers arriving aboard various airlines. New information reveals that heroin traffickers are utilizing multiple couriers on flights with multiple connections. With this “relay” style method, couriers hand off packages to individuals waiting at the next connection point.
