A Canadian police officer was busted for importing anabolic steroids and other drugs into the United States. Niagra Regional Police Constable Geoff Purdie was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Constable Purdie was caught directing shipments of anabolic steroids, testosterone, Valium, Xanax and gamma butyrolactone (GBL) to a private mail box (PMB) in Niagara Falls, New York. The PMB was registered to an Ontario-based supplement store named “FitMass”. The owner of FitMass refused to comment.
The United States Department of Homeland Security Border Enforcement Security Task Force tracked repeated trips by Constable Purdie to retrieve shipments of steroids and other controlled substances. Purdie traveled across the Canada-United States border from Fort Erie to Niagara Falls, picked up the drugs and smuggled them back into Canada.
Constable Purdie was reportedly part of a steroid and drug smuggling network that extended throughout several cities in the Canadian province of Ontario. In addition to performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids, the drug network also allegedly included GBL. GBL is a precursor to the popular recreational drug GHB. The quantity of seized drugs had an estimated street value of $580,000.
The steroid and drug distribution may have involved other members of the Niagra Regional Police Service (NRPS). Niagara Police Chief Jeff McGuire confirmed that the agency is investigating officers in connection with the steroid distribution case. Sources have told the CBC that the investigation is largely targeting fellow officers that were on the “C Platoon” in the NRPS Fort Erie detachment with Purdie.
Police Chief McGuire confirmed that one additional officer has been suspended with several others reassigned. However, McGuire refused to discuss the circumstances regarding their suspension and reassignments.
The Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) overseeing the case is Katie Baumgarten.
Purdie has been released pending his next court date on October 2, 2012.
Source:
CBC News. (August 17, 2012). Niagara Police Probe Steroid, Drug Allegations Within Ranks. Retrieved from http://updatednews.ca/2012/08/17/niagara-police-probe-steroid-drug-allegations-within-ranks/
