Home raid over steroid find

June 07, 2006

CUSTOMS officials have raided a Gold Coast property after the discovery of more than 5000 steroid tablets in the mail.

Customs today said officers at the Sydney Mail Centre found the tablets in an envelope from the United Arab Emirates on May 29.

Six similar envelopes were previously detected in April, with the latest find believed to be linked.

Two people have been questioned in connection with the find following a raid on a residential property in Southport yesterday.

A Customs spokeswoman said vials of liquid, needles and a range of tablets, also believed to be steroids, were seized from the property.

She said no charges had been laid and investigations were continuing.

Customs said the envelopes, intended for several addresses in Queensland, contained steroid tablets taped to a piece of cardboard.

"Forensic testing of the tablets has shown that they are methandienone, stanozolol and mestanolone," it said in a statement.

"All are commonly used as performance or image enhancing drugs."

Performance and image enhancing drugs can only be imported with prior permission from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

The maximum penalty for importing such drugs is five years in jail and/or $110,000 in fines.