The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been actively working with law enforcement officials in Poland to bring down individuals who have been accused of shipping anabolic steroids and other bodybuilding drugs to internet customers around the world. The long arm of American law enforcement may have set its sights on another major international steroid source.
The investigation began over one year ago when the Polish Straż Graniczna (SG), or Border Guard, intercepted a large number of steroid shipments destined for customers in the United States and Canada back in the spring 0f 2011. Approximately 1,500 parcels containing injectable and oral anabolic steroids were seized at the Warsaw mail terminal.
The culmination of the investigation led to the arrest of two 30-year old Polish men in June 2012. The Polish Straż Graniczna (SG), with the cooperation of the U.S. DEA, linked the men to a large-scale steroid distribution operation based in a Warsaw apartment.
One of the men was arrested after going to the post office. Police found approximately 7,200 steroid tablets, 19,000 steroid vials and approximately 47,000 Polish zloty (USD $14,094) located in his vehicle. But the seizure was only the tip of the iceberg.
A Warsaw apartment was identified as the base of the underground laboratory (UGL) that produced several popular steroids and ancillary drugs used by American bodybuilders. Steroid paraphernalia and laboratory equipment consistent with the operation of an UGL were found in the apartment. In addition to manufacturing, the apartment was also used for the storage of the finished steroid products.
Police seized approximately 666,000 steroid tablets, 19,000 steroid vials and 5,500 steroid ampoules. Their estimated retail value was 6 million Polish zloty. This represented approximately 1.8 million U.S. dollars.
The internationalization of the United States’ war on steroids has become increasingly aggressive in recent years. Law enforcement has not been satisfied with busting domestic sources of steroid distribution. The federal government has increasingly pursued international sources who have been shipping steroids to Americans.
The long arm of American law has had limited success working with European and Asian countries to arrest and extradite steroid sources. The U.S. government was successful in pressuring local authorities to arrest and extradite the original owners of British Dragon in Thailand several years ago. They succeeded in arresting Musclebear and having him extradited from Cyprus. However, the outcome in their pursuit of Mihael Karner was somewhat different.
The U.S. government succeeded in having Karner arrested in Austria. They asked the Austrian government to extradite Karner. Unfortunately for the feds, Karner was able to buy safe passage to his home country of Slovenia by paying the Austrian government one million euros.
The identities of the two men arrested in the most recent Polish bust are unknown as is the nature of their role in the steroid organization. It is also unclear if the U.S. government will seek their extradition.
Source:
PAP. (June 18, 2012). Przechywycili anaboliki za sześć milionów. Retrieved from http://www.tvnwarszawa.pl/informacje,news,przechywycili-anaboliki-za-szesc-milionow,48814.html
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