$20k in fines for Tasmanian busted at Perth airport with steroids

A Tasmanian gym enthusiast has been ordered to pay almost $20,000 in fines and court costs for attempting to smuggle a ‘small pharmacy’ of steroids into Australia. WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE BUST >>

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A TASMANIAN gym enthusiast has been ordered to pay almost $20,000 in fines and court costs for attempting to smuggle a ‘small pharmacy’ of steroids into Australia.

A TASMANIAN gym enthusiast and FIFO worker has been ordered to pay almost $20,000 in fines and court fees after attempting to smuggle a ‘small pharmacy’ of steroids into Australia.

Samuel Joseph Barwick, 31, was searched by Australian Border Force officers when he returned to Perth on a flight from Malaysia on 10 July, 2019.

At the time the man was a FIFO worker in Western Australia.

A Tasmanian gym enthusiast has been ordered to pay almost $20,000 in fines and court costs for attempting to smuggle a ‘small pharmacy’ of steroids into Australia. The 31-year-old was searched by Australian Border Force officers when he returned to Perth on a flight from Malaysia on 10 July, 2019. At the time the man was a FIFO worker in Western Australia. Pictures: ABF

An x-ray of Barwick’s baggage showed anomalies and when officers conducted a physical examination they hundreds of tablets and vials of steroids, including 39 one ml ampoules in boxes labelled ‘Testobolin – Testosterone Enanthate’, 75 oxandrolone tablets in a box labelled “Oxanobol”, 328 oxandrolone tablets in a box labelled “Anavar”, 70 stanozolol tablets in a bottle labelled “Stano M10”, 150 stanozolol tablets in a box labelled “Stanztab 10” and two 10ml vials of nandrolone decanoate labelled “Nandrobolin-250”.

The ABF said Barwick had declared he did not have any “goods that may be prohibited or subject to restrictions, such as medicines or steroids”.

He later admitted to purchasing the steroids from a pharmacy in Thailand, and claimed they were for personal use.

A Tasmanian gym enthusiast has been ordered to pay almost $20,000 in fines and court costs for attempting to smuggle a ‘small pharmacy’ of steroids into Australia. The 31-year-old was searched by Australian Border Force officers when he returned to Perth on a flight from Malaysia on 10 July, 2019. At the time the man was a FIFO worker in Western Australia. Pictures: ABF

Investigators charged Barwick with two offences, and after pleading guilty he was sentenced in the Perth Magistrates Court on August 13 for one count of importing prohibited imports resulting in an $11,000 fine, and one count of making a false or misleading statement to an officer, resulting in a $4,000 fine.

Barwaick was also ordered to pay the prosecution’s costs of $4,733, taking the total penalty to $19,733.

The magistrate also rejected an application by the man’s lawyer for a spent conviction after the Commonwealth’s lawyer argued the offending was not “trivial”.

A Tasmanian gym enthusiast has been ordered to pay almost $20,000 in fines and court costs for attempting to smuggle a ‘small pharmacy’ of steroids into Australia. The 31-year-old was searched by Australian Border Force officers when he returned to Perth on a flight from Malaysia on 10 July, 2019. At the time the man was a FIFO worker in Western Australia. Pictures: ABF

A Tasmanian gym enthusiast has been ordered to pay almost $20,000 in fines and court costs for attempting to smuggle a ‘small pharmacy’ of steroids into Australia. The 31-year-old was searched by Australian Border Force officers when he returned to Perth on a flight from Malaysia on 10 July, 2019. At the time the man was a FIFO worker in Western Australia. Pictures: ABF

ABF Regional Commander for WA James Copeman said Barwick knew it was illegal to import steroids into Australia without a permit.

“PIEDs are regulated in Australia for very good reasons as they can have serious health impacts for users,” he said.

“This was a significant concealment and I commend the officers at the airport who detected it.

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