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Drugs and Drug Trafficking
Week Nine: Drugs and Drug Trafficking
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Chapter Outline Introduction & Overview
Brief History of Drugs & Drug Trafficking in North America Heroin Fentanyl Cocaine Marijuana Hashish Synthetic (Chemical) Drugs
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Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you should have an understanding of: Significance of drug trafficking in the repertoire of organized crime History of illegal drug smuggling & trafficking affecting Canada Organized crime genres involved in drug trafficking Recent trends & developments concerning drug trafficking in Canada Which illegal drugs are dominant in Canada’s black market Source countries for illegal drugs imported into Canada The rise in the domestic production of illegal drugs & Canada’s role as an international source country for marijuana & synthetic drugs
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Introduction Drug trafficking represents the most widespread & profitable organized criminal undertaking. Drug trafficking transformed OC, by paving the way for: A proliferation of OC groups & an increase in their scope & power Increased cross-border criminal activity Increased co-operation & networking among offenders & groups The rise of multi-millionaire & billionaire “drug lords” An unprecedented level of corruption in both illegal drug source & drug consuming countries continued . . .
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Introduction . . . continued
A level of social harm that is unparalleled among organized crimes The unprecedented mobilization of enforcement resources to combat the illegal drug problem A meteoric spike in the correctional population (especially in the US but also in Canada) & the disproportionate incarceration of members of visible minority groups Debate over the effectiveness of the war on drugs & the broader issue of whether drugs should be legal or illegal to minimize their negative impact on society & to control organized crime
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Introduction The logistics of large-scale drug trafficking necessitates a certain level of organization requires: A multi-layered process – including cultivation, refinement, transportation, storage, retail distribution, political payoffs, security, money laundering Large scale smuggling & trafficking on a continuing basis necessitates a high level of organization & planning Cooperation & coordination often among numerous individuals & organizations Drug trafficking (from production to retail distribution) is carried out through networks
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Brief History of Drug Trafficking in North America
Narcotic drugs were legal in U.S. & Canada until 20th C. Opium & cocaine were active ingredients in numerous over-the-counter medicines & elixirs Opium consumed (eaten) for recreational purposes Chinese immigrants brought the practice of smoking opium to NA 50% tariff on (legal) opium led to smuggling into Canada Early 20th C.: B.C. becomes centre for processing smokeable opium Much of the finish product smuggled into the U.S. (to avoid American tariffs)
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Brief History of Drug Trafficking in North America
Genesis of Modern-day Drug Trafficking 1908: Canadian government enacts the Opium Act, prohibiting the sale, importation, & manufacture of opium. For the first time, a narcotic substance was outlawed in Canada Other narcotic drugs (e.g., cocaine, marijuana) soon outlawed Post WWI: drug trade becomes more organized & lucrative as demand increases Vancouver & Montreal emerge as major conduits for heroin & other drugs smuggled into North America
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Brief History of Drug Trafficking in North America
Post WW II Italian mafia groups become major heroin traffickers in North America Mafia groups in Quebec & Ontario are central to smuggling heroin into North America French Connection becomes largest international drug smuggling & trafficking conspiracy to date Much of Canada’s heroin supply eventually comes from “Golden Triangle” Smuggling & wholesale distribution dominated by Chinese OC
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Brief History of Drug Trafficking in North America
Drugs in the Psychedelic Era & Beyond Beatniks, hippies & other counter-culture movements spur huge rise in demand for illegal drugs Increasing profitability & organization of drug trafficking New OC genres & groups compete with Italian mafia groups OMGs become dominant in chemical drugs & then cocaine Chinese crime groups become dominant in heroin smuggling/trafficking Colombia dominates cocaine trafficking Canada becomes major producer of marijuana & chemical drugs (for export to US & other countries)
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Heroin Heroin is a derivative of morphine, which is produced from the opium poppy.
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Afghanistan is the world’s largest source of heroin
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Heroin The majority of heroin in Canada is from Southeast Asia (SEA)
Large airports are also a popular smuggling conduit SEA heroin is smuggled into Canada by People travelling aboard aircraft (swallow, luggage) Packages mailed from Asia cargo shipments via freighters & airlines SEA heroin trafficking networks connect independent brokers & shippers in Asia to Chinese criminal wholesalers in Canada
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Cocaine Cocaine is produced from coca plants; Peru is the single largest producer of coca leaves in the world
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Cocaine Early 20th C: cocaine identified with the urban underworld
1930s: cocaine was criminalized in US & Canada 1930s until the 1960s: limited demand & supply 1970s: cocaine becomes the drug of choice; no longer associated with criminal deviants but with elites As demand escalates, cocaine industry changes: Laboratories spring up in Peru, Bolivia, & Colombia Increased production, distribution & sophistication Formation of Colombian cartels
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Cocaine Cocaine trafficking in Canada
1970s-80s: Colombian cartels the main suppliers Had their own distribution cells & also wholesaled to other groups Today, major importers & wholesalers are Hells Angels, Italian-Canadian mafia groups, Montreal’s West End Gang groups, & numerous other independent groups Canadian-based groups now deal directly with Colombia Traditionally marine ports were main entry ports Since Mexican cartels now dominate cocaine trade, it enters Canada through official land border ports (on board tractor-trailor trucks)
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Fentanyl Synthetic opioid analgesic 80 times more potent than morphine & 15 to 20 times more potent than heroin Powder imported from China & pressed into pills Often manufactured & sold as OxyContin Fentanyl being found in numerous other chemical drugs All of the above have contributed to an epidemic of overdoes in Canada (it is now a public health emergency) Hells Angels & Chinese criminal networks are the largest wholesalers in Canada Although there are numerous independent producers
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Marijuana Never a popular drug during 19th or early 20th centuries
Nonetheless, it was caught up in drug prohibition laws in the first half of the 20th century. Like other drugs, prohibitionists equated marijuana with racial minorities, crime, psychoses, as well as highly exaggerated & unsubstantiated evil properties. Became the most widely used illegal drug in the 1960s
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Marijuana For years, marijuana consumed in Canada was imported from tropical climes (which maximized THC levels) Canada now a source country for high-potency pot, much of which is grown indoors. Indoor grow ops have become an enormous & lucrative industry in this country, producing a potent form of marijuana
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Marijuana Proliferation of marijuana production in Canada is due to:
Relatively low level of capital required to begin operations Advances in cultivation technology & the widespread & legal availability of equipment A high profit potential A large & receptive consumer market—both domestically & internationally The internationally recognized quality of Canadian-grown pot The relatively lenient penalties for marijuana offences in this country
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Marijuana Police cases have turned up large, decentralized grow operations controlled by outlaw motorcycle gangs Asian criminal organizations are major players Most marijuana production in Canada is attributed to small independent growers A good percentage of Canadian marijuana is smuggled to the US, where it is very popular & fetches a high price Criminal groups have infiltrated medicinal marijuana production Illegal production will most likely continue following legalization as illegal pot is shipped to foreign markets
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Hashish Hashish contains the drug-rich residues of cannabis, which is dried, & then compressed Cannabis resin (hashish oil) is a dark, viscous liquid, the result of repeated extractions of cannabis plant materials. Most hash (& oil) is imported from Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Morocco, Jamaica Montreal’s West End Gang the single largest importer importation of hashish (much of which stays in Quebec)
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Synthetic (Chemical) Drugs
The underground drug market also includes an array of chemical drugs, which are synthetically produced. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) Amphetamines Methamphetamine (also called meth, crank, ice, speed) Phencyclidine (PCP) Ecstacy Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) – date rape drug MDMA (ecstacy) Crystal Meth
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Synthetic (Chemical) Drugs
Canada is now a major producer of synthetic drugs (in particular ecstacy & crystal meth) OMGs & Chinese criminal networks the largest producers & distributors or chemical drugs In recent years, Canada has become exporter to the U.S. & Pacific Rim countries Crystal Meth
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Conclusion to Part III Salient features of organized crimes in Canada:
They encompass both predatory, consensual & hybrid crimes Includes trafficking in both goods & services Includes transactions in the underground economy & the legitimate economy Smuggling has long been connected to a number of dominant organized crimes Continued . . .
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Conclusion to Part III Salient features of organized crimes in Canada (cont.): Are facilitated by corruption of public- & private-sector actors, although not absolutely necessary Drug trafficking is a staple of most OC groups & networks in this country Criminal groups are extremely opportunistic in developing & marketing new illicit goods, services, & markets Frequently cross provincial borders as well as national borders
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Conclusion to Part III None of the organized crimes described in this part of the book are unique to Canada. As such, there is no distinctive Canadian take on organized criminal activities Canada plays different roles in the global theatre of transnational OC: a consumer of international illegal goods & services a source of counterfeit consumer goods & mass marketing fraud a source, destination, & transit country for international migrant smuggling, human trafficking, & illegal drugs
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