Heroin Distribution in the UK

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Heroin Distribution in the UK ACPOS
Conference March 3rd/4th 2005 Paul
Cassell National Criminal Intelligence Service
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CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE
The message is that there are known knowns -
there are things that we know that we know. There
are known unknowns - that is to say, there are
things that we now know we don't know. But there
are also unknown unknowns - there are things we
do not know we don't know. And each year we
discover a few more of those unknown
unknowns. Donald Rumsfeld February 12th 2002
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KNOWN KNOWNS

• Harms
• Broad distribution patterns.
• Groups identified with heroin importation and
  top-level distribution.
• Current opium crop estimates.

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HARMS

• 25-35 tonnes of heroin consumed in the UK
  resulting in
• Health harms
• USERS Over 250,000.
• DEATHS 2002 2003
• England Wales 790 591
• Scotland 248 175
• Northern Ireland 3 4
• Criminal harms
• 29 of arrestees tested positive for opiates use.
• Users of heroin and crack spent an average of
  over 300 per week on drugs, with an illegal
  income of 12,700 a year.

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DISTRIBUTION OF HEROIN IN THE UK
Heroin distributed throughout the country
Smaller scale smuggling of heroin by air from
South Asia
Heroin shipped to primary UK distribution hubs
(e.g. around London and Liverpool)
Heroin transported from the Netherlands to South
coast ports
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MAJOR GROUPS TRAFFICKING HEROIN IN THE UK

• Turkish groups.
• South Asian groups.
• British Caucasian groups.

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UNODC AFGHAN OPIUM SURVEY
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KNOWN UNKNOWNS

• The extent of use of containerised sea freight.
• The convergence of drugs markets.
• Money laundering and finances.

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UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS

• ?
• Size of future Afghan opium crops.
• Significance of small-scale heroin importers.
• The importance of national groups other than
  those normally associated with heroin
  trafficking.

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RESPONSES TO HEROIN SUPPLY

• Young People.
• Communities.
• Treatment.
• Reducing Supply.
• Concerted Inter-agency Drugs Action Group (CIDA)
• Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA)

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CIDA

• Formed in 1999 to coordinate the UK response to
  drug trafficking.
• Focuses effort against those drugs estimated to
  cause the greatest harm.
• Includes the major law enforcement and official
  agencies.
• Coordinates diplomatic, financial, and technical
  support to disrupt upstream drug supply.
• Coordinates the activities of law enforcement
  against drug trafficking into and within the UK.

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SOCA

• Purpose To reduce the harm caused to the UK by
  serious organised crime.
• Incorporates NCS, NCIS, relevant parts of HM
  Customs Excise and HM Immigration Service.
• Improves the integration of the intelligence and
  investigation functions
• Incorporates financial investigation as an
  integral part of all operations against organised
  crime.

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• Paul Cassell
• NATIONAL CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE SERVICE