Muscle men allegedly involved in massive steroid syndicate arrested in Docklands distribution centre
Two men who allegedly sold illicit bodybuilding drugs to hundreds of customers — some with links to organised crime — have been arrested in Docklands as part of a huge steroid trafficking sting.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Two muscle men have been arrested at a Docklands apartment tower and subsequently charged as part of a huge steroid trafficking investigation.
Police allege the men, aged 27 and 32, had hundreds of customers for illicit bodybuilding products which they were importing from overseas.
Members of the Victoria Police north west metro crime squad believe the pair were selling online and through a gym in Port Melbourne.
The pair were later charged with a range of offences including trafficking a commercial quantity of prescription medication, trafficking anabolic steroids, trafficking diazepam and knowingly deal with the proceeds of crime.
A 37-year-old woman, arrested at the Docklands address, was also charged for possessing methylamphetamine and bailed to appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in February next year.
Police say it is the largest bust of its kind in Victoria and the men’s many alleged customers included organised crime figures.
Detectives and members of the VIPER taskforce raided the men and arrested them at the South Wharf Drive tower at 6am on Friday.
The haul of steroids and prescription drugs uncovered at Docklands is worth many millions of dollars and so large it is believed that the haul is spread through three apartments and police had to make multiple trips to the address to load the evidence into trucks.
Label-makers and $130,000 in cash were also confiscated.
The inquiry had been running for seven months and involved cross-agency information-sharing with the Australian Federal Police.
The warrants at the three Docklands properties were among five carried out across Victoria.
The AFP also carried out warrants on Friday and arrested several people connected to the syndicate.
The syndicate had allegedly also been sending steroids into the ACT and New South Wales, with police finding about $100,000 worth of steroids from inside a “sophisticated drug distribution centre”
Northwest metro regional crime squad detective inspector Patrick Watkinson did not downplay the significance of the haul after a seven month investigation.
“These steroids have been used beyond just the gym environment and that’s what grabbed our attention,” he said.
“This type of drug investigation is currently the largest of its type in Victoria and has been for some time.
“(Police) were drawn to this type of investigation because of the connections with organised crime entities not only in Victoria but across the eastern board.
He said police had sought to “limit the networks” of the organised crime groups involved, with a Port Melbourne gym among the locations searched.
“One address was a gym which had a large amount of steroids in there. You may be sitting in there thinking this is purely just steroids and not a big impact on the community but we’re looking at the bigger picture here that the drugs are being used to facilitate criminal entities’ lifestyles. We’re also looking at a large profits made from the sale of these drugs,” he said.
A Flemington property was also searched by detectives, who allegedly located approximately $45,000 in cash and a quantity of steroids.
The sting was a joint operation between Victoria and ACT Police.
ACT police criminal investigations organised crime team detective inspector Mark Steel said the bust should “serve as a warning”.
“ACT Policing and Victoria Police have coordinated their investigation and resolution activity and this should serve as a warning to anyone seeking to profit from illegal activities,” he said.
“If you are operating across borders you will face the combined efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies. We will arrest you, seize your assets and put you before courts to face significant criminal charges.”
Two in hospital after school bus rolls on South Gippsland Highway
Two people have been taken to hospital after a school bus travelling on the South Gippsland Highway rolled on its side at Hallam on Wednesday morning.
Gunman jumped on trampoline during siege, hero police dog praised
New details of a terrifying siege in Melbourne’s west have emerged including how the gunman jumped on a trampoline with his weapon during the standoff, while neighbours have praised a hero police dog.