| DEA
Offices & Telephone Nos. Manchester—603-225-1574 Portsmouth—603-433-0650 |
| State
Facts Population: 1,309,940 State Prison Population: 2,448 Probation Population: 4,285 Violent Crime Rate National Ranking: 47 |
2006
Federal Drug Seizures Cocaine: 7.5 kgs. Heroin: 0.0 kgs. Methamphetamine: 0.1 kgs. Marijuana: 43.1 kgs. Hashish: 0.0 kgs MDMA: 0.0 kgs/1du Meth Lab Incidents: 2 (DEA, state, and local) |
Drug Situation: Retail quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine remain readily available in the state of New Hampshire. Dominican narcotics traffickers are the principal distributors of cocaine in the state. Heroin is available in street level quantities in New Hampshire, supplied primarily by Dominican traffickers with bases of operation in the Lowell/Lawrence, MA areas. Marijuana is readily available throughout the state, and it is apparent that marijuana is the predominate drug of choice in the state. The state of New Hampshire has experienced a continued growth in availability of methamphetamine within the state in the past few years, particularly in and around the seacoast area. It is anticipated that this trend will continue.
Cocaine: Cocaine
HCl and crack cocaine are readily available at the retail level; kilogram
quantities of the drug are encountered with less frequency. In recent
years, the seacoast region has experienced a significant increase in
availability, due in part to its proximity to source areas in Massachusetts,
specifically, the Lowell and Lawrence areas. Dominican narcotics traffickers
dominate the distribution of cocaine HCl in the state and are supplied
by associates in New York and Lowell/Lawrence, MA; however cocaine is
brought into the region from Florida and the Mexican border. Cocaine
and crack cocaine availability and prices have remained constant.
Heroin: Heroin
remains readily available at the retail level and its use is widespread.
Heroin sources of supply are located in Lowell, Lawrence and Lynn, MA.
The drug’s ultimate source center is New York. Dominican traffickers
are the primary distributors of high quality heroin in New Hampshire.
The state continues to experience increases in heroin availability,
particularly along the seacoast, southeast region and western part of
the state. Heroin prices on the retail level have remained stable.
Methamphetamine: The
state of New Hampshire has experienced a continued growth in availability
of methamphetamine in the past few years, particularly in and around
the seacoast area. Methamphetamine is available throughout the state.
The availability of “ice” has increased. Methamphetamine,
which is produced in Mexico, is primarily transported into the state
via express mail packages, by common carrier and by privately owned
vehicles from the West Coast of the United States. Methamphetamine prices
have remained stable.
Club
Drugs: MDMA is widely available and is frequently
sold to teenagers and young adults at nightclubs, rave parties
and on college campuses. MDMA in powder form has also been encountered
in the state. The majority of the MDMA available in the seacoast
region originates in New York, NY and is transported into the
region via private vehicle for distribution. Canada has also served
as a transshipment point for MDMA destined for New Hampshire.
Marijuana: Marijuana
is readily available throughout New Hampshire. Marijuana is the predominant
drug of choice in the state. Most of the marijuana available in the
region is transported from the southwestern U.S. and originates in Mexico
with local Caucasian violators traveling weekly or bi-monthly to Arizona
and southern California to obtain 200-300 pound quantities of the drug.
The marijuana is usually transported into the state via land vehicle.
Marijuana is also being shipped in relatively small quantities (20-50
lb. packages) into the state utilizing U. S. and other mail services.
Cannabis is also cultivated within New Hampshire, though not as readily in recent years. Because of the rural nature of the state, particularly in the north, potential growing areas abound and most of the outdoor growers have reduced the size of their plots and increased the variety and scope of their concealment efforts. THC content in excess of 22 percent has been seen in the state.
High grade hydroponic marijuana from Canada is increasingly available in New Hampshire and is smuggled into the state transiting through its shared border with Canada. A variety of smuggling methods have been encountered including concealment in couriers’ backpacks and hockey-type travel bags, helicopter air drops wherein the marijuana wrapped in plastic bags is dropped to individuals waiting on land, and the use of snowmobiles during the winter months.This high potency Canadian grown marijuana’s THC content can range from 15 percent to as much as 25 percent.
Marijuana
Legislation: In
March 2001, The New Hampshire House of Representatives, by a vote
of 223 to 101, rejected a bill that would have legalized marijuana
for medical purposes.
Other Drugs: Much of the diversion problem in the state of New Hampshire involves fraudulent prescriptions, dated & duped doctors, mail order pharmaceuticals, illegal and over dispensing, doctor shopping, chemically impaired practitioners, etc. OxyContin® continues to be a pharmaceutical drug of abuse in the state.
Pharmaceutical Diversion: The diversion and abuse of methadone is an emerging problem in New Hampshire. Methods of diversion include illegal sale and distribution by health care professionals and workers, and “doctor shopping” (going to a number of doctors to obtain prescriptions for a controlled pharmaceutical).
DEA
Mobile Enforcement Teams: This
cooperative program with state and local law enforcement counterparts
was conceived in 1995 in response to the overwhelming problem of drug-related
violent crime in towns and cities across the nation. Since the inception
of the MET Program, 473 deployments have been completed nationwide,
resulting in 19,643 arrests. Since the inception of the program, there
has been one MET deployment in the State of New Hampshire, in Hampton.
DEA Regional Enforcement Teams: This program was designed to augment existing DEA division resources by targeting drug organizations operating in the United States where there is a lack of sufficient local drug law enforcement. This program was conceived in 1999 in response to the threat posed by drug trafficking organizations that have established networks of cells to conduct drug trafficking operations in smaller, non-traditional trafficking locations in the United States. As of January 31, 2005, there have been 27 deployments nationwide, and one deployment in the U.S. Virgin Islands, resulting in 671 arrests. There have been no RET deployments in the state of New Hampshire
More information about the New England Division Office.
Factsheet last updated: 6/2006