There seems to be some significant organised crime activity in middle eastern communities. I havent heard of any cases in new york.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/201...-and-hezbollah/
Lebanese Drug Lord Charged in US: Links to Zetas and Hezbollah
Email2Smaller FontTextLarger Text|Print
A Lebanese drug kingpin who allegedly has connections to the Zeta drug cartel and Hezbollah has been charged with drug dealing and money laundering, the Justice Department and DEA announced today.
Ayman Joumaa, a.k.a “Junior,” and his associates allegedly shipped an estimated 85,000 kilograms of cocaine into the United States and laundered more than $850 million in drug money coming out of Mexico from the Zeta cartel through front companies and The Lebanese Canadian Bank (LCB).
In a federal indictment that was unsealed Monday, Joumaa was charged with cocaine distribution and money laundering.
In January, the Treasury Department designated Joumaa a major narcotics trafficker, alleging that he used cash exchange houses in Lebanon that had accounts with the Lebanese Canadian Bank. A month later the LCB was designated by Treasury as a “Primary Money Laundering Concern”
According to U.S. officials, Hezbollah has obtained financing from Joumaa and his associates. U.S. officials say some officers with the Lebanese Canadian Bank and subsidiaries have connections with Hezbollah.
The case shows the reach of Hezbollah’s financial support network. U.S. officials have long known about the group operating in South America’s tri-border area in Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina where the group runs drugs and large scale counterfeiting networks, according to U.S. officials. In recent years there has been more recent concern about the group establishing a footprint in Central America.
“The defendant’s coordination of money laundering activities occurred in the United States, Lebanon, Benin, Panama, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere,” the indictment alleged.
“According to information from sources, his alleged drug and money laundering activities facilitated numerous global drug trafficking organizations, including the criminal activities of the Los Zetas Mexican drug cartel,” DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart said in a statement.
The indictment alleges that Joumaa and his co-conspirators coordinated cocaine shipments from Colombia and Latin America to sell to the Zeta cartel and launder the drug proceeds, charging fees between 8 percent and 14 percent for laundering the funds.
“During the course of the conspiracy, the defendant typically picked up between $2 [million] and $4 million at a time in Mexico City,” the indictment said of bulk shipments of U.S. currency that Joumaa and his associates would receive from the drug sales.
“Money fuels the drug trade, and Mr. Joumaa is alleged to be at the center of it all,” U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride said. “Working with those producing the vast majority of the world’s cocaine to get their drugs safely into the hands of Mexican cartels, and then moving hundreds of millions in proceeds all around the world so the money can’t be traced back to them in Colombia.”

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/aug/18/60-arrested-el-cajon-chaldean-organized-crime-case/

The FBI does investigate Middle Eastern criminal enterprises, though obviously terrorism is the main focus. And, as we've seen, the line between the two is becoming more obscure.


http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/organizedcrime/mideast

Being that I reside in the Detroit area, which has a large population of people who are Muslim, and Chaldean (Iraqi Christians). I often wonder the extent of the organized crime activity in their respective communities. From what I gather is that they are involved in various forms of illegal gambling, and money laundering. If any of you guys are interested feel free to Google Chaldean Mafia.

Yeah, there have long been close ties between the Detroit mob and the Chaldeans in Detroit when it comes to their gambling operations.

Yeah that's true. A few years ago there was a Chaldean social club located not to far from where I live in the suburbs. That got busted for illegal gambling, it made the local news and everything. I'm not trying to generalize but it makes you wonder if other "social clubs" and/or Chaldean or Arab Muslim owned restaurants are involved in the same thing. That's why its so intriguing to me.

On a lighter note I've been in contact with Debbie Schlussel in the past. She's a local Detroit based critic, watchdog, and blogger, who keeps tabs on the criminal activity of Muslims. I emailed her, a few years ago when I lived on the westside of Detroit.

Because at the time there were a large group of Muslims who would congregate in a house located directly across the street from where I lived. Being the ever suspicious person that I am, I emailed her to ask what she thought they could possibly be up to.

Now granted I'm all for people practicing what ever religion they so choose. BUT I just found it extremely odd that the people coming to this house would clog up the street with their vehicles, and just be in this one house. A few things came to mind, other than the Muslim worship rituals or whatever they do.

there this guy omid tahvili in canada he was running a crime syndicate he got busted but escaped and is a wanted fugitive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omid_Tahvili

I also wanted to know how widespread is afghan heroin or is it all south american stuff that is on the street?

in the united states generally east of the mississippi is primarily columbian powder, particularly in the northeast, which is the biggest heroin market in the us. west of the mississippi is mostly mexican black tar, which is said to be a much cruder product, although in recent years there have been reports of mexican dto's recruiting columbian chemists to produce more powder heroin. small amounts of southeast asian heroin are generally found in asian communities across the country, particularly on the west coast. as for afghan small amounts are found in middle eastern areas such as northern nj, and the midwest in areas like detroit but on a very small scale. the majority of the heroin from afghanistan is used in the european markets, particularly russia and the uk, although in recent years more and more is being consumed domestically and in neighboring middle eastern countries. as far as canada is concerned it seems to be mostly mexican tar in the majority of the country with the exception of bc, and in particular vancouver which sees alot of southeast asian because of its large asian population.

I'm not sure how common black tar heroin is anymore. The Mexicans have been producing their own high grade heroin for at least the last 15 years now. And the northeast is the last region where the Mexicans are not the dominant traffickers. They already are in the south east. But in the northeast you still have competition from Colombians, Dominicans, Cubans, Asians, the LCN, etc.

tar for the most part is the most prevelent form of heroin in almost all areas outside of the northeast and chicago/detroit to a lesser extent. particularly southern california and the entire southwest, even to a lesser extent in southern cities like atlanta.

Looks like you're right. This is from last year's DEA Threat Assessment -


Mexican black tar and brown powder heroin are becoming more widely available, including in East Coast markets historically dominated by white powder heroin. The eastward expansion of Mexican trafficking organizations has likely contributed to this increase in availability, representing the continuation of an ongoing trend or, possibly, a fundamental shift in heroin trafficking dynamics.

Sizeable quantities of Mexican black tar heroin have been seized in Atlanta, Charlotte (NC), and Pittsburgh.

Investigative reporting suggests that heroin producers in Mexico may be using Colombian processing techniques to create a white powder form of heroin; however, signature analysis has not confirmed the existence of this form of heroin . If true, this development likely portends intent on the part of Mexican TCOs to further expand into U.S. white powder heroin markets.

http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs44/44849/44849p.pdf