Cocaine: Cocaine and crack cocaine remain readily available throughout the metropolitan areas of the State of Arizona. The Phoenix and Tucson areas of Arizona are the major transshipment points for cocaine distribution. This is accomplished via passenger vehicles that are equipped with hidden compartments and tractor-trailers that hide the contraband with legitimate cargo as well as hidden compartments. Multiple loads are smuggled at the same time to diversify the risk of being caught by law enforcement at the Ports of Entry. In addition to these traditional smuggling methods, trafficking tunnels continue to be discovered along the border of Naco and Nogales. Most of the tunnels, which are discovered, utilize the Nogales Storm Drain System that runs between the U.S. and Mexico. The tunnels are reportedly used for the smuggling of both marijuana and large amounts of cocaine. The Phoenix Division reported 41 arrests from cocaine violators during the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2003.

Heroin: Mexican black tar heroin and brown powder heroin are consistently smuggled into Arizona with multi-kilogram quantities seized at the Ports of Entry and in major metropolitan areas. Brown powder heroin is becoming more readily available and appears to be the most common type of heroin abused. The black tar heroin is known to be cultivated in Burma and then smuggled to Mexico and into the U.S. Phoenix Division statistics show that .3 kilograms of heroin were seized during the second quarter of FY 2003. This is an 89% decrease from the 2.74 kilograms confiscated the previous quarter.

Methamphetamine: The State of Arizona has become a principal area in the domestic manufacture of methamphetamine. In addition to domestic production, Arizona is saturated with methamphetamine from Mexican National Superlabs in Mexico and California. Due to lax laws and accessibility of chemicals, it is easier to cook methamphetamine in Mexico. Intelligence indicates that lab seizures are decreasing while the demand is increasing. For comparison purposes, there were a total of 58 labs seized in Arizona during the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2003, verses the 81 labs that were seized during the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2003.

Club Drugs and Hallucinogens:The availability and demand of MDMA (Ecstasy) in Arizona continues to increase on college campuses, in clubs and throughout Arizona. Ecstasy continues to be brought into Arizona from California and Mexico. The recent decrease in price may be attributed to large amounts of Mexican produced ecstasy flowing into the state. It is believed that Arizona is mainly a smuggling route for Mexican produced Ecstasy intended for larger cities throughout the United States. Law Enforcement authorities in Arizona report that the availability of mushrooms is limited. However the demand is not as prevalent as other dangerous drugs. LSD is available throughout Arizona but generally limited to the older Caucasian population. Local law enforcement is reporting that GHB is readily available in the Scottsdale, AZ area at $700/gallon.

Marijuana: Multi-hundred kilogram quantities of marijuana are transported from Mexico to the United States throughout the Ports of Entry along the Southern Arizona border. In area along the border with fencing, bundles of marijuana are passed through holes, which have been cut, or the bundles of marijuana are simply thrown over the fence. Mexican trafficking groups use tractor-trailers, passenger vehicles, animal caravans and backpackers to smuggle the marijuana in quantities between 25 and 300 kilograms. During the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2003, the Phoenix Division reported 189 arrests of marijuana violators.

Prescription Drugs: Vicodin Lortab and other hydrocodone products; Percocet, OxyContin and other oxycodone products; benzodiazepines, and codeine products are the most commonly abused pharmaceutical controlled substances in the state of Arizona. Soma in combination with other analgesic controlled substances, Ultram (tramadol) and Nubain continue to be highly abused prescription-only substances. The main method of diversion continues to be prescription fraud through forgeries, bogus call-ins, and doctor shoppers. The Phoenix Division continues to investigate various thefts in transit to pharmacies and distributors in the state. There are continued reports of thefts by employees and robberies of pharmacies in the state. Prescription controlled drugs from Mexico continue to be smuggled into Arizona. Internet shipments of controlled substances, particularly from foreign source websites, continue to be a problem. Internet websites with prescriptions shipped from U.S. pharmacies are being investigated.

Drug Proceeds: A variety of methods were used conceal funds while the suspects were transporting the funds. The most commonly encountered techniques included hidden compartments in the boxes, luggage, shoes, women's purses, dashboard, quarter panels, doors, in the trunk of the vehicle, and in one case within furniture loaded in a U-haul truck. Transporting the currency in a vehicle was the most frequently encountered method, followed by air travel and finally by rail. One interesting, possibly emerging trend is the dual use of transport vehicles. In recent months, there have been an increasing number of seizures in which a load vehicle would carry drugs eastbound and the same driver and vehicle would carry cash back westward. Traditionally, the two chains were kept separate so that the arrest of a driver could not compromise both currency and drug operations.

Other Drugs: Prescription controlled drugs continue to be smuggled from Mexico into Arizona on a regular basis. Hydrocodone, oxycodone, and benzodiazepene products continue to comprise the majority of prescription controlled drugs abused in Arizona. Arizona has begun to see organized groups utilizing computer-generated prescriptions to obtain OxyContin for both personal abuse and distribution for profit.