ZeOS NRW and customs investigation in Essen: Doping dealers arrested
- Over half a million units of doping and medicinal products and
over 400,000 euros in cash and cryptocurrency seized -
On 14.12.2023, forces from the Essen customs investigation office searched two apartments in Düsseldorf and Essen on behalf of the Central and Contact Point for the Prosecution of Organized Crimes in North Rhine-Westphalia (ZeOS) at the Düsseldorf public prosecutor's office on suspicion of commercial trafficking in doping substances in not insignificant quantities. Approx. 630,000 units of doping agents and drugs in tablet form, over 32,000 ready-to-sell ampoules of doping agents, approx. 13,000 units of prescription growth hormones and approx. 1 kg of doping powder were seized. One suspect was arrested. The investigations, which have been ongoing since June 2023, are directed against a suspect aged 38 from the Düsseldorf area, who sold various doping preparations as well as medicines that are not authorized in Germany or only available on prescription, such as antidepressants, insulin or the so-called "Weight loss syringe" is alleged to have been distributed. According to the current status of the investigation, the corresponding orders were delivered throughout Europe by means of simple parcel shipments and paid for by the customers with cryptocurrencies. In the period between February and July 2023, the investigating authorities were able to identify over 700 such shipments. A 33-year-old suspect from the Essen area is also suspected of having received parcels containing doping substances from Lithuania, Latvia and Poland as a "straw woman" for the aforementioned suspect and forwarding them to him. In addition to the above-mentioned doping substances worth more than one million euros, approximately 150,000 euros in cash, approximately 270,000 euros in cryptocurrency and packages containing doping substances ready for shipment as well as other evidence, including cell phones, storage media, packaging material and shipping labels, were seized during the searches. The accused was brought before the investigating judge and is now in custody. The investigations, in particular the evaluation of the evidence found, are continuing. Commercial trafficking in doping substances in not insignificant quantities is punishable by a prison sentence of one to ten years. Please note: The accused are presumed innocent until a final conviction is handed down.
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