Bodybuilders face steroid-sale charges

Two kiwi bodybuilders are facing steroids charges after allegedly importing and selling a cocktail of the muscle-pumping prescription drugs to other competitors.

The cases have sparked new calls for bodybuilding officials to bring back drug testing, which was dropped about three years ago.

The men, from West Auckland, are nutritionist and former Mr New Zealand Marc William Rainbow, 42, and personal trainer Andrew James Van Lent, 24.

Most of the steroids charges, laid by the Ministry of Health under the Medicines Act, carry a fine of up to $40,000. Some have a penalty of six months' imprisonment. Rainbow and Van Lent each face more than 50 charges.

Police have also charged Rainbow with possessing instruments to make methamphetamine, as well as manufacturing and supplying the Class-A drug.

He and his business partner were allegedly importing the steroids through their business, SSIS Pharmaceuticals, and selling hundreds of bottles to individuals.

Rainbow was the first New Zealand bodybuilder to turn professional and competed successfully in the United States in the 90s. He won the Mr New Zealand title twice and Mr Australia title once. Rainbow will be back in the Auckland District Court next month.

Van Lent's case is going through the Waitakere District Court; he appeared last week and will be back at the end of June. He faces 51 charges of importing, improperly labelling and packaging, selling and possessing steroids.

The documents show Van Lent allegedly got the drugs into New Zealand through the mail system, addressing the packages to six different people. This importing allegedly occurred over just three days in October and the packages contained everything from blue heart-shaped pills to sachets of jelly and hundreds of ampoules.

The documents also detail the huge stash of drugs Van Lent was allegedly caught with in late January: 1524 pills and capsules in zip-lock bags; two types of powdered steroid; a vial of testosterone and two dropper bottles of other steroids - one labelled "The best aromatherapy in the USA!".

He also allegedly had 15 cartridges of insulin, which bodybuilders use to boost the effects of anabolic steroids.

The ministry would not comment while the cases were before the courts.

There are two bodybuilding organisations in New Zealand, the National Amateur Bodybuilders' Association and the New Zealand Federation of Bodybuilders.

Graeme Steel, chief executive of Drug Free Sport NZ (DFSNZ), says the association has never required drug tests for members, and the federation also dropped all drug tests about three years ago.

Until that point, Steel says, about 30 percent of all infractions (failed tests or refusals) came from bodybuilders, although they made up just 5 percent of all sportspeople tested.

Now, bodybuilders are free to use steroids to boost their performance without fear of being banned from competition - or investigated by DFSNZ.

Steel says he is frustrated and concerned at this, and is keen to start testing bodybuilders again. He is particularly concerned that bodybuilding is now a "supply network" that feeds steroids into more mainstream sports codes.

"We have no doubt that the source of drugs for other athletes is likely to come through people who are importing as part of their bodybuilding regimes."