The rate of robberies and muggings in Jackson Heights was not particularly high in 1993, but drug rings proliferated rapidly. The drug ring operators kept them mostly low-profile, often with the help of local businesses like travel agencies. At the time, it was estimated that millions in laundered money were circulating around Jackson Heights. Police crackdowns led some of the drug rings to begin leaving for Long Island, but did not eradicate them completely.
1. Fisher, Ian. “Jackson Heights Streets Familiar to Drug Cartels.” New York Times 11 May 1993, sec. B: 2. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 3 Apr. 2012. .
