By Carol McCracken  (Post # 2,315)

The State of Maine recently joined the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Heroin Task Force (NEMA-HTF) a multi-state heroin task force that marshals the resources of top law enforcement officers across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States.  New York and Pennsylvania co-chair the effort.  New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maryland are members.  NEMA-HTF brings together State Attorneys General in an unprecedented law enforcement collaboration to combat the growing problem of heroin distribution and abuse in communities throughout the region according to a press release issued by the office of Attorney General Janet T. Mills earlier this month.

“Maine is very pleased to be working with our partners in the other New England and Mid-Atlantac States to combat the flow of heroin and drug money that causes so much misery for our communities,” said Attorney General Janet T. Mills.  “Maine is seeing a spike in heroin related activity and we have to work together to stem the supply.  Cheap, readily available heroin is killing Maine’s youth.  The criminals bringing it here cannot evade justice by simply crossing state lines,” she said.

Maine has seen a surge in heroin trafficking in recent years.  Maine is the end of the New England pipeline that originates in other task force states.  Historically, heroin was imported to Maine primarily from Massachusetts, but Maine has seen an increase in trafficking rings that import heroin and prescription opioids from New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

“Every week residents of New  York and Pennsylvania are arrested in Maine for drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Janet Mills. “It makes sense for state law enforcement officers and prosecutors to be working together to take these organizations apart.  Opening these lines of communication is critical to understanding the full reach and extent of these smuggling rings,” she said.