Customs called it a “small pharmacy” but it was really only a personal supply for a moderate steroid cycle.
Samuel Joseph Barwick, a 31-year old bodybuilder living in Tasmania, was caught attempting to smuggle what prosecutors called a “small pharmacy” of anabolic steroids. But in reality, the contraband in question only represented personal use quantities sufficient for a modest steroid cycle.
Barwick pleaded guilty to one count of “importing prohibited imports, being various quantities of anabolic or androgenic substances” and one count of “making a false or misleading statement to an officer”.
The convictions carried associated fines of $11,000 and $4,000, respectively. The Perth Magistrates Court ordered Barwick to pay these fines along with prosecution’s costs of $4,733 for a total penaly of $19,733 on August 13, 2020.
Barwick clearly only had a steroid supply consistent with personal use.
Barwick landed at the Perth International Airport on a flight from Malaysia on July 10, 2019. Australian Border Force officers searched Barwick and discovered that he was in possession of various anabolic steroid products. Barwick did not declare the importation of any medications or anabolic steroids on his customs form.
Barwick admitted purchasing the steroids from a pharmacy in Thailand upon questioning. He consistently maintained that the steroid were for his personal use only.
The steroids consisted primarily of products manufactured and sold under the Alpha Pharma Healthcare and Unigen labels.
The products included 39 milliliters of Alpha Pharma Testobolin (testosterone enanthate), two 10-milliliter vials of Alpha Pharma Nandrolobolin-250 (nandrolone decanoate), 75 tablets of Alpha Pharma Oxanobol (oxandrolone), one box of Alpha Pharma Promifen (clomiphene citrate), 150 tablets of Unigen Stanztab 10 and other brands of stanozolol and oxandrolone.
The personal steroid cycle was described by ABF officials as a “significant concealment”.
“PIEDs are regulated in Australia for very good reasons as they can have serious health impacts for users,” according to ABF Regional Commaner for Western Australia James Copeman. “This was a significant concealment and I commend the officers at the airport who detected it.”
Australian Border Force. (August 18, 2020). Heavy fine for bulk steroid importer. Retrieved from newsroom.abf.gov.au/releases/97b58c5e-91ec-4e7c-ab80-a1796c2342d6