IFBB professional bodybuilders Martin Kjellström and Irene Andersen were interrogated by police in Sweden during a recent series of steroid raids in Göteborg, Stockholm and Malmö during the week of April 20th, 2009. Police apparently rounded up twelve of the top Swedish bodybuilders, including at least two IFBB pro bodybuilders, during an exploratory investigation into steroid distribution in the region. But no charges have been filed in the case (“Kroppsbyggare fast i drograzzia,” May 6).
Swedish police have been known to arrest bodybuilders for suspicion of steroid use based on appearance alone. Police questioned the bodybuilders about their use of anabolic steroids. Most of the bodybuilders interrogated were found in possession of steroids in personal quantities for bodybuilding purposes. All indications suggest that Swedish police are primarily interested in busting major drug dealers of steroids and narcotics and not bodybuilders who use personal quantities of steroids and related performance enhancing drugs.
IFBB pro Martin Kjellström cooperated with police and permitted them to search his home where they discovered only small quantities of anabolic steroids. The steroids purportedly amounted to a 1-2 week personal supply; Kjellström’s physician in Norway corrobated the pharmaceutical regimen with Swedish police. Kjellström explained to police that most bodybuilders are hard-working professional athletes and NOT drug dealers. There was NOT a steroid bust but only involved questioning by the Swedish doping police. It is not expect to effect his contest preparations for the 2009 Mr. Olympia.
The penalties for personal possession of anabolic steroids in Sweden is comparatively low. However, major doping offenses carry serious consequences that include up to four years imprisonment. Drug-related crimes carry sentences up to 10 years imprisonment.
Swedish police suspect 42-year old IFBB pro bodybuilder Irene Andersen possessed anabolic steroids with the intent to resale and distribute. Police allegedly seized steroids valued at less than USD $4,000 (30,000 Swedish kronor). The pro bodybuilder, gym owner and mother of three young children, strongly disputes this accusation and maintains that they were for personal use only.
Police detective Sten Ove Falk publicly claims that they found what they expected at the homes and gyms of the competitive bodybuilders. But privately, as reported by other sources, the police were largely disappointed by the small quantities of steroids uncovered and surprised by the cooperativeness of the bodybuilders questions.
Nonetheless, Detective Falk has promised similar steroid raids in the east coast of Sweden based on what they uncovered. It is unknown whether police will prosecute any bodybuilders for minor steroid possession.
The steroid hysteria in law enforcement appears to be a global trend. The arrests and surveillance of competitive bodybuilders by Swedish police is an unfortunate waste of valuable police resources. A similar situation occurred in the United States where the state of Oklahoma targetted professional and amateur bodybuilders for arrest and prosecution for, in most cases, nothing more than steroid possession. Hopefully, the demonization and criminalization of anabolic steroids for physical/performance enhancement purposes will ultimately be replaced by an alternate harm reduction approach that involves medically-supervised doping.
About the author
Millard writes about anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs and their use and impact in sport and society. He discusses the medical and non-medical uses of anabolic-androgenic steroids while advocating a harm reduction approach to steroid education.
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