Trento, anabolic steroid trafficking: 7 people arrested by NAS

The control activity carried out by the Public Prosecutor's Office through of the NAS (Anti-adulteration and healthcare units) in the field of youth health protection. The use of anabolic substances creates serious harm to health and in some cases can lead to the onset of tumors as well as various very serious pathologies.

The use of anabolics, some of these also included among narcotics is widespread among bodybuilders but also amateur athletes or simple gym goers, unaware of the risks.

On 26 June 2024, the NAS of Trento executed 7 precautionary custody orders, Of which you are in prison and one is under house arrest, ordered by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Bolzano. The six people, all of Italian citizenship they were identified and taken to prison, three in Rome, three in Milano and one in Bolzano.

The alleged crimes are trafficking in anabolics (art. 586 bis cp), including some also included among those considered narcotics (and 7371 dpr 309/90), in competition (art.110 c.p.), a huge traffic involving shipments carried out in a widespread manner throughout Italy.

For the Trentino Alto Adige region, the investigations and execution of the precautionary custody order in prison have been carried out together with the Carabinieri of the Bressanone Company.

In execution, the soldiers of the NAS of Trento they received the necessary precious collaboration from the NAS of Rome and the NAS of Milano, as well as by staff of ROS (The special operational grouping) of Trento, Padua, Rome and Milano. The investigation was prompted by a report of the discovery of tumors in some young athletes. which in scientific literature are specifically caused by the use of anabolic substances.

The Carabinieri of the NAS of Trento and personal  identified the main suspect as a bodybuilder e personal trainer of the gym frequented by both young people and, together with the carabinieri of the Bressanone Company, experts in detail South Tyrolean dialect spoken by him, they began an in-depth activity of investigation.

The investigations required in-depth work, systematic and focused as the subject being paid attention was extremely cautious and attentive. However, the investigative effort made it possible to identify his modus operandi, establishing that he took orders from customers and then ordered the anabolics for them, having them delivered to them as post office delivery at a large shipping chain. Specifically, the name of the recipient was false and so was the name of the sender so as not to allow any recognition or identification even in the event of control.  Il the Bolzano salesman passed the tracking on to the customer who followed the arriving package and showed up to collect it with the receipt on his phone.

The investigations were made particularly difficult not only by the suspiciousness of the suspect but also by from its activity in the field of permitted supplements. Nevertheless, the military, evaluating origin, arrival times and weight of the same, intercepted some packages in which various anabolic substances were found. In one case, following the client, they had him stopped by the patrol and they found the substances in the newly loaded trunk.

In one case, was ascertained that the Bolzano subject used also dt an associate to collect cash from various customers. (The latter is reported to be free in the competition).

It was therefore established that the main source of supply for the Trentino Alto Adige region, came from Rome. To identify who was sending from Rome, the NAS soldiers went to Rome, to a shipping office and there, assisted by the Roman NAS, they implemented a series of observation and shadowing services term of which they identified a couple, man and woman, who went to the shipping office every day and sent packages throughout Italy (including Bolzano) with false names.

To do this they made use of the complicity of the owner of the shipping shop who knew well what he was sending and the activity of the two, from which he also benefited financially. The investigations continued but, since some parcels, bound for Bolzano had not reached their destination, as they were seized by the NAS, it was discovered that the shipments to Bolzano began to come from Milano, whose epicenter becomes the new source of supply for the aforementioned Bolzano subject. At the same time, shipments from Rome have moved elsewhere channel with the involvement of another person, then identified and reported in competition.

A new important figure then entered the scene, sort of of the activity coordinator who, after some “lost” packages between Rome and Bolzano, decided to take care of them personally.

I military after in-depth studies on parcel flows, they prepared a series of observation services with which they managed to identify the aforementioned main coordinator and his two collaborators who every day sent parcels throughout Italy under false names.

Obtained therefore concrete and concordant evidence of guilt, the Judicial Authority. ordered six precautionary custody orders in prison and one under house arrest. During the execution of precautionary custody orders were also 20 searches were carried out at the same time at the home of the arrested persons, the Bolzano gyms of the arrested South Tyrolean, homes of friends and girlfriends of the arrested persons which the carabinieri had reason to believe were premises used to hide the proceeds of the criminal activity, anabolic drugs and credit cards registered in the names of other suitors to receive payments. The packages sent from each "shipping center" were around 250 per month and a monthly income is estimated by the carabinieri between 55.000 and 65.000 euros.

At the moment they all appear to have been concluded at an operational level but documentary and information checks are underway data analysis.

Anyway, remember that remains there presumption of innocence, means that a person not can be considered guilty of crime till to the judgment definitive of condemnation. The accused è un alleged innocent but to the judgment final di condemnation. During all i degrees di judgment, therefore, he must be considered innocent of the crime of which he is accused.

even the condemned indefinitely must be considered innocent. Come ditto above, indeed, la presumption di innocence imposes di to consideration not guilty too la recognized person such from one judgment still contestable. AND so, the person convicted in first degree that he proposed appeal or that there is still time  to do so she must be considered innocent.