Health Minister Simon Harris has called on gyms to work with state authorities to combat the rise in the use of dangerous fake and illegal anabolic steroids.

Garda-organised crime units are to crack down on gangs dealing in anabolic steroids when the products are added to the list of controlled drugs, such as cocaine and heroin.

Drugs worth about €260m were seized in the first half of the year, justice minister Alan Shatter has revealed.

More than 42,000 potentially illegal and harmful tablets were seized by health chiefs, gardai and customs last year, it was revealed today.