Police from Turin on Wednesday
smashed a suspected doping ring that allegedly trafficked in
illegal substances across Italy, supplying gyms where amateur
body builders allegedly took the drugs..
The gang had connections abroad, police said.
The police operation "dismantled a consolidated traffic in
anabolic steroid and other doping substances", police said.
The alleged gang was based at Pinerolo near Turin and had
offshoots all over the country, in the provinces of Alessandria,
Arezzo, Avellino, Brescia, Catania, Cuneo, Frosinone, Imperia,
Reggio Calabria, Rimini, Rome, Salerno, Turin, Vercelli and
Verona, police said.
In the police op, dubbed David and Goliath, three people were
arrested and a further 12 cited for distributing illicit
substances.
Some 26 people in all have been placed under investigation.
Among the substances seized were oxandrolone, stanozolol and
metenolone.
In all, police seized 58 packs of drugs, 210 vials, 1,722 pills,
13 blister packs, and 51 inoculutaion devices whose use was
quantified as about 15,000 euros per year by the three
arrestees.
Some of the body builders in the probe were competitive ones,
police said.
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