International heroin trafficking by Nigerian organized crime networks

International heroin trafficking is a major problem for Drug Enforcement Agencies across the United States and throughout the world. For during the years 1997 to 2001 the FBI Offices in Chicago, Detroit, New York and Newark along the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Customs Service, Immigration and Naturalization Service, United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspectors, the British Customs Service, as well as state and local authorities combined the resources of three separate investigations to jointly target a major international heroin trafficking organization primarily made up of individuals of Nigerian descent." (FBI, 2009)

Arrests made in the international heroin trafficking ring included those as follows:

(1) in Detroit, the investigation identified five individuals who were arranging heroin shipments to Detroit addresses by package courier services. These shipments were paid for through Western Union wire transfers to New York and Thailand. These five members of the organization were also dealing with members in New York and Chicago;

(2) in Newark, 11 members of the organization were found to be importing Southeast Asian heroin through express air shipping companies from Africa, Asia, and Europe. In addition, money, fraudulent documents, and other contraband were being shipped to and from Newark by these individuals. These 11 were also closely associated with members in New York and Chicago, and with an organization that manufactured fraudulent documents for Nigerian criminals in the Newark area;

(3) an additional 11 members of the organization were identified in Chicago and discovered to be importing heroin into Chicago from Thailand, also using air courier services. Through the Chicago investigation, additional members of the organization in New York, Detroit, Dallas, and London were identified; and (4) the investigation revealed that the leaders and organizers of this criminal enterprise were from Mushin, Nigeria. In all, 23 individuals were charged in both federal and state courts, resulting in 19 arrests in Chicago, Newark, New York, Detroit, New Orleans, Dallas, Europe, and Thailand. All 19 of those arrested were convicted, and the remaining four are international fugitives believed to be hiding in West Africa. The investigation also led to the seizure of more than 100 kilograms of heroin." (FBI, 2009)

II. History of International Heroin Trafficking

It was reported in the work of Hopsicker (2010) entitled: "The Ultimate Hedge? Venice Airport has 60-Year-History of Drug Trafficking" that an investigation that was related to a sale of the former Huffman Aviation has resulted in the discovery of "an explosive secret at the heart of an otherwise unremarkable aviation facility." (Hopsicker, 2010, p.1) Huffman Aviation was formerly known as the Venice Army Air Field and was home to the World War II Stateside operations and is reported to have been a method of funneling money via proceeds from the sale of heroin on an international basis focused toward supporting a Chinese warlord who is described as "corrupt…whose army, even after its defeat, hung on to a loin's share of Southeast Asian real estate now known as the "Golden Triangle." (Hopsicker, 2010, p.1) an examination of newspaper clips across contemporary times demonstrate that the Venice Airport has a history that is "extraordinary…" and which spans a total of six decades being the "scene of covert activities including "…gunrunning, international heroin and cocaine trafficking, and being used as a launch pad for coups in the Caribbean and Central America." (Hopsicker, 2010, p.1)

Heroin trafficking is stated to be that which funded the Chinese warlord 'Chiang Kai-Shek' fund his "civil war against the communist red army not only during but following World War II. It is reported that Chiang Kai-Shek's men were funded by the CIA and that they were the "foot soldiers of Asia's drug armies…Hundreds of tons of opium and heroin…were carried on these CIA flights.

Summary and Conclusion

Heroin use has a long history in the international drug trade and is a drug that is highly illegal and highly addictive in nature. Newer and cheaper synthetic heroin has made the drug more readily available and less costly for users to purchase. Law enforcement is coping with the heroin threat through procedures of PDD 44 (1995) which includes working in the diplomatic and public channels in boosting awareness at the international level of the growing threat presented by heroin which is inclusive at addressing the problems represented by the underground banking system which supports the ongoing heroin drug trade on an international basis.