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thrive

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Registered: 2023-01-04

Posts: 2,575

Doping in the gym busted: traffickers selling steroids to influencers

Moldovan and Romanian authorities, supported by Europol, have dismantled a criminal network producing and distributing illegal pharmaceuticals across the European Union

Europol has supported the Moldovan Customs and the Romanian Police in taking down a criminal network producing and distributing illegal anabolic and counterfeit pharmaceuticals. The network used popular social media influencers to promote the fake performance-enhancing substances.

The judicial side of the investigation, supported by Eurojust, was led by the Moldovan Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organised Crime and Special Cases and the Prosecutors of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism.

Influential clients contribute to criminal activities worth EUR 1.5 million
The criminal network was found to be supplying a large number of clients across Romania and the European Union. The Romanian suspect had close ties with gyms in Romania, which the networks supplied with the illegal goods. Some of their clients were well-known social media influencers with popular dietary and nutrition channels, as well as prominent entertainment personalities who often appeared in broadcast media.

The suspects used instant messaging applications and dark web marketplaces to reach customers in other EU countries. To disguise the origin of the products, they used labels from famous e-commerce marketplaces to package the parcels. They then received payments in cryptocurrencies and used crypto-mixers to launder the criminal assets. Based on Europol’s analysis and the information provided by the investigators, it is estimated that the criminal profits may have reached EUR 1.5 million.