Spanish police have arrested seven individuals for trafficking anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) in the Marina Baja region of Alicante as part of the ongoing Operation Lisboa investigation. The Guardia Civil confiscated over 4,000 dosage units of steroids and HGH from a business in Benidorm, a gym in Altea and a supplement store in Alfaz del Pi. The Spanish beach resort area is popular among European tourists from the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Norway and France (”Desmantelan dos puntos ilegales de venta de anabolizantes en Benidorm y Altea,” February 21).
Según la Guardia Civil, se han intervenido en varios registros unas cuatro mil dosis, material para su dispensación, además de dos vehículos y una motocicleta de gran cilindrada. [...]
La investigación se originó al tener constancia de que había un grupo organizado dedicado a la distribución de esteroides-anabolizantes, hormonas de crecimiento y otros fármacos prohibidos a través de un establecimiento especializado en nutrición y en suplementación deportiva.
The confiscated performance enhancing drugs have been identified as including Norma Nandrolone Decanoate, Ansomone HGH, and various oral anabolic steroids from Thailand.
The National Court of Spain sentenced IFBB pro bodybuilder Manuel Manchado Lopez and six co-conspirators to two years in prison for steroid trafficking as part of “Operation Mazas”. Manchado was one of four defendants given the option of avoiding prison by paying a fine of €5,760 euros for his “crimes against public health” (”Champion body builder sentenced for steroid trafficking,” December 31).
Operation Mazas started when postal officials discovered two parcels containing illegal anabolic steroids in La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz) in June 2003. The ensuing investigation implicated various bodybuilders and a Spanish supplement company in selling “illegal substances used for the development of muscle mass and strength” (”Condenan a Míster Universo 2003 a 2 años de prisión por tráfico de anabolizantes,” December 31).
Manuel Manchado was arrested for marketing and distributing anabolic steroids as an employee of the Spanish supplement company Steromax España SL. Steromax illegally manufactured various anabolic steroid products which were sold by Manchado via his Fitness Center in Leganés (Madrid), supplement store and an internet website. The Spanish Civil Guard seized over half a million doses of anabolic steroids, including three steroids not authorized for sale in Spain, from the residences and businesses involved in the steroid ring. Steromax was not licensed to manufacture and/or distribute pharmaceutical products Read more
Mercedes Coghen, the Spanish Olympic Committe bid chief, is aggressively lobbying to create national steroid laws in Spain consistent with anti-doping rules used by the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Organization (”Spain’s anti-doping drive boosts Madrid bid,” August 14).
“We needed to have a (anti-doping) law that is in the same line as the International Olympic Committee. They (sports authorities) have been working very, very hard on this and this is very good for Madrid 2016,” Coghen told Reuters in an interview.
Spain has seen its fair share of steroid and doping scandals involving steroid doctors collaborating with athletes and allegedly monitoring their use of performance enhancing drugs. Spanish authorities hope to rehabilitate their tarnished image to improve Madrid’s chances at winning the bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games. An aggressive anti-doping effort, including attempts to legislate steroids and PEDs out of sports, is apparently a major part of this initiative.
