Cyclists in Spain arrested for running doping network   

SIX cyclists from a club in Oviedo and five others in have been arrested for allegedly distributing doping substances 

Among the detainees is a former high-ranking official of the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation and a municipal official in charge of organising sporting events. 

The network obtained the illegal medicines designed to improve sport performance through a pharmacy located in Asturias as well as from Colombia, Venezuela, Chile and Belarus. 

To avoid being discovered in their communications they used coded language with key words, such as “pods” or “gas” to replace doses or doping products. 

The first anti-doping operation carried out jointly by the National Police and AMERIPOL (Police Community of America), began when the latter warned Spanish police about the possible existence of a group of cyclists involved in doping. 

It operated mainly in Asturias and specialised in sourcing, storing and distributing the illegal drugs, including doping agents. 

National Police investigated and confirmed the information and revealed, in addition to the involvement of cyclists, the existence of a complex logistical network that profited not only from sporting activity, but also from the supply of illegal products. 

Officers set up a surveillance operation and seized a bag that had been thrown into a bin by several members of the investigated cycling team. 

In it they found ampoules of illegal products, syringes, needles and empty boxes of doping substances. 

Further investigation led them to a network that supplied the drugs in two ways. Nationally they used a pharmacy but they also bought the drugs overseas. 

More research revealed that some of the illegal drugs were sent to Madrid from Asturias where one of the detainees was in charge of receiving and distributing them. Sometimes one of the cyclists involved made home deliveries to other athletes. 

 

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Dilip Kuner

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