mugzy
TID Board Of Directors
- Aug 11, 2010
- 4,876
- 1,800
FIVE PEOPLE, including a pensioner couple and their son, were arrested yesterday after substantial quantities of raw materials that could be used to manufacture illegal anabolic steroids were located in a laboratory during a police raid in Nicosia.
The couple, aged 72 and 71, were expected to be released after questioning, police said.
Their 43-year-old son and two foreign inividuals, 25 and 32, will be brought before a court today for a remand hearing.
Police spokesman Michael Katsounotos said there was some concern that if, as police suspected, steroids were being manufactured at the warehouse, that they were being distributed around the world from Cyprus.
After receiving information from Germany recently, Cypriot police launched multiple operations around the island yesterday, while similar simultaneous operations were launched around Europe and in the US in an attempt to crack down on illegal anabolic steroids.
Katsounotos said: “At 8am a raid was executed. We issued a total of seven search warrants for premises for which we suspect were used to manufacture, store and distribute prohibited substances.''
Katsounotos said that simultaneous operations were launched in Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Ireland and the US. According to Katsounotos the operation was coordinated by the German police.
Katsounotos said that in six of the premises no illegal substances were found. However in one, believed to be inside Kronos Commercial Centre in Latsia, Nicosia, large quantities of raw materials were found which could be used to manufacture prohibited drugs, namely anabolic steroids.
Katsounotos said: “All the materials and documentation found on the premises have been confiscated and sent to be analysed by the state laboratory.”
He said that from documents confiscated it appeared that the alleged steroids were exported abroad. However he could not rule out the possibility that some were released into the Cypriot market, he said. “We need to carry out further investigations” Katsounotos added.
Responding to questions as to whether any arrests had been made, Katsounotos said: “The manager of the laboratory is out of the country, he is wanted for questioning. As soon as he gets back we will speak to him. We are still in the initial stages of our investigation.”
The couple, aged 72 and 71, were expected to be released after questioning, police said.
Their 43-year-old son and two foreign inividuals, 25 and 32, will be brought before a court today for a remand hearing.
Police spokesman Michael Katsounotos said there was some concern that if, as police suspected, steroids were being manufactured at the warehouse, that they were being distributed around the world from Cyprus.
After receiving information from Germany recently, Cypriot police launched multiple operations around the island yesterday, while similar simultaneous operations were launched around Europe and in the US in an attempt to crack down on illegal anabolic steroids.
Katsounotos said: “At 8am a raid was executed. We issued a total of seven search warrants for premises for which we suspect were used to manufacture, store and distribute prohibited substances.''
Katsounotos said that simultaneous operations were launched in Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Ireland and the US. According to Katsounotos the operation was coordinated by the German police.
Katsounotos said that in six of the premises no illegal substances were found. However in one, believed to be inside Kronos Commercial Centre in Latsia, Nicosia, large quantities of raw materials were found which could be used to manufacture prohibited drugs, namely anabolic steroids.
Katsounotos said: “All the materials and documentation found on the premises have been confiscated and sent to be analysed by the state laboratory.”
He said that from documents confiscated it appeared that the alleged steroids were exported abroad. However he could not rule out the possibility that some were released into the Cypriot market, he said. “We need to carry out further investigations” Katsounotos added.
Responding to questions as to whether any arrests had been made, Katsounotos said: “The manager of the laboratory is out of the country, he is wanted for questioning. As soon as he gets back we will speak to him. We are still in the initial stages of our investigation.”
