The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Drug Section seized over 2 kilograms of anabolic steroid powder at a residence in Prince George, British Columbia on Halloween. A joint operation between the Prince George RCMP and Canadian Border Services Agency uncovered the steroid powder coming into Canada from China. The recipient of the Chinese steroid powder faces various drug distribution charges including the importation of a controlled substance (anabolic steroids) into Canada (”Police execute Halloween drug bust,” November 1).

In the past two weeks alone, law enforcement in British Columbia has arrested individuals for importing and/or distributing anabolic steroids in Victoria, North Vancouver, and now Prince George. Are the recent steroid busts a harbinger of a major steroid crackdown in British Columbia in preparation for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games? The privilege of hosting the Olympic Games is usually accompanied by increased pressure on the host city (and host country) to step up their anti-doping efforts via law enforcement.

Canadian authorities have previously targeted the importation of steroid powder from China. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) cooperated with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in ‘Operation Powder Keg‘ in 2007.

Canada’s Operation Powder Keg was one of several international operations (e.g. Operation Kasha in Australia) that was initiated by the far-reaching U.S. government law enforcement initiative codenamed Operation Raw Deal. The various international operations cracked down on underground labs (UGLs) that imported raw steroid powder from China to manufacture finished anabolic steroid products. While Operation Raw Deal shut down numerous UGLs and spawned further steroid busts, Operation Powder Keg had limited effects on UGLs in Canada.