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Massive Steroid Operation Uncovered
We interrupt this regularly scheduled series of posts on running technique for this breaking news...
Last week the Drug Enforcement Administration of the USA wrapped up a series of raids on drug labs in a number of states. The numbers? Over 800,000 doses of steroids were confiscated from one home in New York. There were other seizures in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and in the midwest.
WADA currently is seeking information from the agents so that they can cross check any names in the investigation against the names of current athletes, and it appears that the federal agents are more than willing to cooperate with the anti-doping agency on this.
After the four days of raids, the operation, called "Raw Deal," shut down 26 labs and arrested over 50 individuals. The raids were the final push in a larger probe that in total made 124 arrests, closed 56 labs in 27 states, and seized $6.5 million and 240 kg of raw steroid powder.
Anyone out there still think that the drug problem in sports is under control. . .? This should be a reminder that performance-enhancing drugs are big business, and as long as there is this much money to be made from them, more labs just like the ones busted last week will start popping up again. Having said that, however, these raids and this operation demonstrate that the federal government here in the USA is allocating significant time and resources to this problem.
You can read the full details here on the ESPN website.
And now we return you to our regularly scheduled post. . . .
Last week the Drug Enforcement Administration of the USA wrapped up a series of raids on drug labs in a number of states. The numbers? Over 800,000 doses of steroids were confiscated from one home in New York. There were other seizures in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and in the midwest.
WADA currently is seeking information from the agents so that they can cross check any names in the investigation against the names of current athletes, and it appears that the federal agents are more than willing to cooperate with the anti-doping agency on this.
After the four days of raids, the operation, called "Raw Deal," shut down 26 labs and arrested over 50 individuals. The raids were the final push in a larger probe that in total made 124 arrests, closed 56 labs in 27 states, and seized $6.5 million and 240 kg of raw steroid powder.
Anyone out there still think that the drug problem in sports is under control. . .? This should be a reminder that performance-enhancing drugs are big business, and as long as there is this much money to be made from them, more labs just like the ones busted last week will start popping up again. Having said that, however, these raids and this operation demonstrate that the federal government here in the USA is allocating significant time and resources to this problem.
You can read the full details here on the ESPN website.
And now we return you to our regularly scheduled post. . . .
4 Comments:
It's going to be really interesting to see if any athlete's names come out of all this.
For sure, I wonder what will transpire out of this one. After the BALCO scandal, which took down mostly track and field athletes and baseballers, this one threatens (from the numbers, anyway) to be even bigger.
But imagine what you could do with 800 000 doses of steroids? THe mind boggles...
Hi Guys. Can't believe that I only found out about this thanks to Ross's announcement at the Departmental Presentations and through the blog. This should have been on the news. Quite interesting though, that it happened in the USA, which was previously believed to be almost protective of the athletes and not test them often, or have I got that wrong. Pretty fricking crazy. Was BALCO a large company? And these labs that have been bust are they like in peoples homes or full scale businesses with offices etc. Shot for awesome blog.
Ben
Hello Ben
Thanks a lot! If you check out our latest couple of posts and also that link to the article from ESPN, you'll see more details. Apparently the agents were barging down doors in quiet suburban cul de sacs and storming into kitchens. So we are talking regular Joe Public, men and women (presumably) who live in areas like Newlands and Claremont!
Frightening to think that if this is what they are doing, imagine what a company with offices in three countries could do. Think supplement companies, who buy ingredients all the time - the ease with which they could get the raw materials to make steroids. Just astonishing...
Thanks again!
Ross
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