EPO and steroids ‘regularly seized by customs’

CUSTOMS officers have intercepted 22 packages of the banned drug EPO and anabolic steroids in the last 12 months.

While athlete Cathal Lombard could face criminal charges for importing EPO without a licence, sources close to the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) have ruled out a prosecution against the 28-year-old.

The board, which has responsibility for initiating investigations into the illegal importation of medical products, targets distributors and those making money out of the trade.

Irish Sports Council chief John Treacy revealed the investigation into Lombard began after a tip-off from customs officers

The items seized by customs over the last year ranged from small packages to one containing 200 ampules. Proceedings have begun against the individual alleged to have attempted to import those products and he or she faces hefty penalties, a €1,927 fine and one year in prison on summary conviction.

More serious importers face fines up to €127,000 and 10 years in prison.

The IMB usually does not pursue those being sent products from abroad for personal use. In 2003, the board reported 17 seizures of sports-enhancing products, including EPO and steroids. Legal action is pending in connection with some of them.

Athletes who use anabolic steroids to boost their performance are at an increased risk of developing cancer and of weakening their body’s natural defence against infections, tests show.

Australian scientists have found that, even at doses 50 times lower than those commonly used by sports cheats, the drugs lowered the immune system.

Twenty-four athletes from around the world agreed to test the drugs for Southern Cross University and underwent significant personality changes. People taking steroids become overly aggressive and their empathy levels are reduced, leading to a condition known as “roid rage”.

For six weeks, the 24 volunteers agreed to take anabolic steroids for the purpose of the investigation. At the beginning of the study they took part in a series of athletic events to measure their personal as well as their competitive performances, and their strength, speed and endurance.

They were divided into two groups, one group receiving injections of the anabolic steroid testosterone enanthate and the other receiving harmless dummy injections.

Neither the group nor the scientists overseeing the experiment, commissioned by New Scientist and Channel 4, knew who was given what.

As expected, the steroids increased the athletes’ performance over the six weeks. However, the effectiveness of a type of white blood cell crucial to the body’s immune system, Natural Killer (NK) cells, was reduced by 20% among those in the steroid group.

High doses of the drug have been linked to jaundice, liver damage, increased number of heart beats, infertility and diabetes.