AAS Countries

[thebrick]

UK AAS Laws

**This is a little dated. I believe that the law in the UK states that you can no longer order steroids through the mail. Everything else remains the same.


The Short. Anabolic steroids are legal to possess and import in the UK, up to a 90 day supply, but you can’t buy them from just anyone.


The Long. Steroid laws in the UK are a bit confusing, not only to the user, but law enforcement. It’s amazing how many people actually don’t know the correct laws regarding anabolic steroids in the UK. In fact, you could probably ask a random officer about the steroid laws, and he will more than likely not know the actual law himself. I see people all the time in the forums, over reacting, and/or offering poor advice. There is a lot of confusion regarding the laws, and I will try and set the record straight... as much as I can without being a lawyer.


Similar to the US and Canada, anabolic steroids can only be sold by licensed individuals, i.e. pharmacists, and a prescription must be present. In the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, anabolic steroids are classified as Schedule 4 (II). It states:


CONTROLLED DRUGS EXCEPTED FROM THE PROHIBITION ON POSSESSION WHEN IN THE FORM OF A MEDICINAL PRODUCT; EXCLUDED FROM THE APPLICATION OF OFFENCES ARISING FROM THE PROHIBITION ON IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION WHEN IMPORTED OR EXPORTED IN THE FORM OF A MEDICINAL PRODUCT BY ANY PERSON FOR ADMINISTRATION TO HIMSELF; AND SUBJECT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF REGULATIONS 22, 23, 26 AND 27


Simplified, if the drug is a medicinal product, they are legal to import, export and possess. The question, what is a medicinal product? That is where some of the confusion begins. At first, it was not clear what a medicinal product was. Later, in provisions, a medicinal product was described as:


Medicinal product
130(1) Subject to the following provisions, means any substance or article (not being an instrument, apparatus or appliance) which is manufactured, sold, supplied, imported or exported for use wholly or mainly in either or both of the following ways:


(a) use by being administered to one or more human beings or animals for a medicinal purpose;
(b) use, in circumstances to which this paragraph applies, as an ingredient in the preparation of a substance or article which is to be administered to one or more human beings or animals for a medicinal purpose.
(http://mle.ncalt.com/MLE/data/PL_LGL_NLD_01_02/d1637.asp)


And where ‘medicinal purpose’ is described as:


Medicinal purpose
130(2) A medicinal purpose means:


(a) treating or preventing disease;
(b) diagnosing disease or ascertaining the existence, degree or extent of a physiological condition;
(c) contraception;
(d) inducing anesthesia;
(e) otherwise preventing or interfering with the normal operation of a physiological function, whether permanently or temporarily, and whether by terminating, reducing, postponing, increasing or accelerating, the operation of that function or in any other way.


The description of a medicinal product is slightly more clear, but it is still not specific.


The confusion. Besides the definition of a medicinal product not being totally clear, there is even more confusion in the law. Anabolic steroids are legal if they are a medicinal product, right? A medicinal product is something that has a medicinal purpose. A medicinal purpose is (mainly) used for treating, preventing, or diagnosing disease. What many readers, including myself, will interpret this to mean is that anabolic steroids are only legal in the UK if they’re being taken for disease, or ‘medicinal purpose’... meaning you will have to prove, or have proof that you should be taking the anabolic steroids for medical reasons. However, that is not the case. The law simply states what can be used, and imported/exported…this includes drugs that are used in humans or pets for medicinal purposes, not that you need to actually use it for medicinal purposes.


More confusion. Most people will take this to define medicinal product as, “(a) use by being administered to one or more human beings or animals for a medicinal purpose”, thinking the anabolic steroids imported, must be human grade, pharmaceutical steroids. This is not true. Firstly, many officials are already confused about steroid laws, and the last thing they need is to try to determine what is ‘human grade’ versus ‘underground’. The problem is, someone will be arrested, their steroids will be confiscated, they happen to be underground, so people jump to the conclusion the steroids were taken because they were ‘counterfeit’. Since the majority of anabolic steroids in the UK are underground (or bootleg or counterfeit), it is highly probable that when steroids are confiscated, they will be underground. The truth is, in this case, that the steroids were taken from the suspect because a) many officers don’t fully understand the steroid laws b) the drugs in question need to be tested to be sure they are in fact, what the label claims they are.


Counterfeits. This is the one greyer areas of the law. You will get a variety of opinions regarding steroid counterfeit laws in the UK. I believe counterfeits are handled on a case per case basis. When I say counterfeits, I’m talking about steroids labeled as the trademarked name, rather than the chemical name. If you order a bottle of pills labeled Oxymetholone, you should be fine. However, if you purchased a bottle of pills labeled Anadrol, which did not receive permission to use the trademark Anadrol, you may be found guilty under the Trade Marks Act of 1994. That being said, it is very rare someone will actually be charged and convicted of counterfeit steroids. I have heard of prosecution, but after reviewing dozens and dozens of cases, I have not come across any regarding counterfeit steroids cases. Out of all the trademark cases I’ve come across, they are for the BIG money drugs, i.e. Viagra (sildenafil citrate) or Valium (diazepam).


Even more confusion. The “90 Day supply”. This question most often brought up is “How much is considered a 90 day supply? Well, as with most of the law, there is no clear answer. Nowhere, is there anything that states what a 90 day supply is. And how can there be? 8 ampoules of sustanon is a 90 day supply for one user, while 50 ampoules of sustanon is a 90 day supply for an experienced user. Even doctors prescribe varying amounts of the same drug for different patients and for different conditions. Some drugs are even prescribed to be administered in different doses based on need (usually painkillers) determined by the patient. Add in the fact that the majority of officials have absolutely no clue about steroid dosages, or steroid cycles, it makes it even harder to prosecute someone for going over the 90 day supply law. If importing a rather large ‘personal amount’, it would be wise to break it up into two or three packages, to avoid any possible issues.Have a large supply stashed at your house? Take a piece of paper, and write out a cycle including all of the drugs you have on hand, this way you have proof that they were for your personal use.


Example:


Week 1: 8 amps sustanon
Week 2: 8 amps sustanon
Week 3: 8 amps sustanon
Week 4: 8 amps sustanon
Week 5: 8 amps sustanon
Week 6: 8 amps sustanon
Week 7: 8 amps sustanon
Week 8: 8 amps sustanon
Week 9: 8 amps sustanon
Week 10: 8 amps sustanon
Week 11: 8 amps sustanon
Week 12: 8 amps sustanon


As silly as it looks, if your steroids are taken, this piece of paper WILL be used as evidence.With 99% of officials having no idea about anabolic steroids, this will easilybe considered a personal 90 day supply and they should be returned.


Penalty for supply. It is against the law to illegally supply anabolic steroids in the UK. Conviction will carry a penalty up to 14 years in prison and/or fine. It is extremely rare to see a steroid case solely involving anabolic steroids. Almost every case will be centered on other drugs, such as, Viagra, Xanax, Valium, Cialis, etc.


Sample seizure. A user on Muscletalk.co.uk, had a number of drugs seized from him home. The complete list of drugs taken were:
(quoted without corrections)


Ectasy 14 tablets
Ephedrine 149x 30mg tablets (in bag)
Oxyandrolone (Anavar) powder 11g
Viagra powder 20g
Clomid powder 8g
Clomid - 14x 50mg (in blister pack)
Tamoxifen powder 12g
Stanozolol (Winstrol) powder 3g
Arimidex powder 1g
Isotrentinion (Accutane) powder 20g
Isotrentinion (Accutane) powder cut with baking soda 10g (approx)
Isotrentinion (Accutane) powder, 9x33mg wraps (in Rizzlas)
Accutane - 60x 20mg (in blister pack)


As you can see, the majority of these drugs are in powder form. Ding some quick math to give you an idea of the quantities involved here, we can take a look at the Oxandrolone powder, 11g. 11g is 11,000mg. An old (possibly outdated) recommendation for Oxandrolone is .125mgs per LB of lean muscle mass. In other words, a 250lb man with 20%BF will have 200lb LBM. As per the recommended dosage, that would be 25mgs/day of Oxandrolone. However, with today’s steroid usage, and more common dosage would be 60mgs/day.


11,000mgs / 25mgs (minimum dose) = 440 days (14.6 months) supply of Oxandrolone.
11,000mgs/ 60mgs (today’s common dose) = 183 days(six months)


The end result? All of the anabolic steroids and ancillary drugs were returned, and a caution was issued for the ecstasy tabs.


Conclusion. As you can see, the steroid laws in the UK are not very clear. The truth of the matter is, because the laws are so ill-defined, precedents are rare and most cases are decided on an individual basis. A judge will have the final say on the matter. It is nice to be able to legally import and possess, but at the same time, because the law is on such unsteady ground, you still need to be cautious. One day someone may be prosecuted because a judge decides 20 amps of Sustanon is more than a 90 day supply, while another user who has 150 amps of Sustanon is found not guilty and the amps of Sustanon are returned to him.


The UK, as well as many other countries, do not see anabolic steroids as a major issue, and instead prefer to focus valuable man-hours and funding on fighting more important crimes.

 

[PRIDE]

Canada Steroid Laws

The Short. Anabolic steroids are legal (technically, not illegal) to possess, but illegal to buy, sell, import or export. (You’re right, it doesn’t really make sense)


The Long. Anabolic steroids laws in Canada are a little confusing, but not nearly as confusing as the UK steroid laws.


Anabolic steroids are a controlled substance in Canada, and classified as a Schedule IV drug. Drugs in Canada are classified I to IV, with I being the most dangerous, such as, cocaine, heroin, etc. As this time, steroids are not the biggest priority for the Canadian government, and were actually classified as Schedule III at one time.


You may have heard anabolic steroids are legal to possess in Canada, however, this is not 100% correct. Steroids aren’t ILLEGAL, but I can’t seem to find anywhere that it’s explicitly stated that anabolic steroids are legal in Canada.


The Canadian Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CCDSA) states:


Possession of substance


4. (1) Except as authorized under the regulations, no person shall possess a substance included in Schedule I, II or III.


As you can see, it does not say anabolic steroids are illegal, but it does not out right say they are legal. If you’re confused now, just wait, because it gets worse.


Next, from the CCDSA we have:


Obtaining substance
(2) No person shall seek or obtain


(a) a substance included in Schedule I, II, III or IV, or


(b) an authorization to obtain a substance included in Schedule I, II, III or IV


from a practitioner, unless the person discloses to the practitioner particulars relating to the acquisition by the person of every substance in those Schedules, and of every authorization to obtain such substances, from any other practitioner within the preceding thirty days


The above simply means, you can’t buy or try to buy anabolic steroids. So you can possess, but not buy, steroids in Canada. Go figure.


For reference the Canadian Controlled Drugs and Substances Act lists anabolic steroids as:


Anabolic steroids and their derivatives including:


(1) Androisoxazole (17ß–hydroxy–17?–methylandrostano [3,2–c]isoxazole)
(2) Androstanolone (17ß–hydroxy–5?–androstan–3–one)
(3) Androstenediol (androst–5–ene–3ß,17ß–diol)
(4) Bolandiol (estr–4–ene–3ß,17ß–diol)


(5) Bolasterone (17ß–hydroxy–7?,17–dimethylandrost–4–en–3–one)
(6) Bolazine (17ß–hydroxy–2?–methyl–5?–androstan–3–one azine)
(7) Boldenone (17ß–hydroxyandrosta–1,4–dien–3–one)
(8) Bolenol (19–nor–17?–pregn–5–en–17–ol)
(9) Calusterone (17ß–hydroxy–7ß,17–dimethylandrost–4–en–3–one)
(10) Clostebol (4–chloro–17ß–hydroxyandrost–4–en–3–one)
(11) Drostanolone (17ß–hydroxy–2?–methyl–5?–androstan–3–one)
(12) Enestebol (4, 17ß–dihydroxy–17–methylandrosta–1,4–dien–3–one)
(13) Epitiostanol (2?, 3?–epithio–5?–androstan–17ß–ol)
(14) Ethylestrenol (19–nor–17?–pregn–4–en–17–ol)
(15) 4–Hydroxy–19–nor testosterone
(16) Fluoxymesterone (9–fluoro–11ß,17ß–dihydroxy–17–methylandrost–4–en– 3–one)
(17) Formebolone (11?, 17ß–dihydroxy–17–methyl–3–oxoandrosta–1,4 di–en–2–carboxaldehyde)
(18) Furazabol (17–methyl–5?–androstano[2,3–c] furazan–17ß–ol)
(19) Mebolazine (17ß–hydroxy–2?,17–dimethyl–5?–androstan–3–one azine)
(20) Mesabolone (17ß–[(1–methoxycyclohexyl)oxy]–5?–androst–1–en–3–one)
(21) Mesterolone (17ß–hydroxy–1?–methyl–5?–androstan–3–one)
(22) Metandienone (17ß–hydroxy–17–methylandrosta–1,4–dien–3–one)
(23) Metenolone (17ß–hydroxy–1–methyl–5?–androst–1–en–3–one)
(24) Methandriol (17?–methylandrost–5–ene–3ß,17ß–diol)
(25) Methyltestosterone (17ß–hydroxy–17–methylandrost–4–en–3–one)
(26) Metribolone (17ß–hydroxy–17–methylestra–4, 9,11–trien–3–one)
(27) Mibolerone (17ß–hydroxy–7?,17–dimethylestr–4–en–3–one)
(28) Nandrolone (17ß–hydroxyestr–4–en–3–one)
(29) Norboletone (13–ethyl–17ß–hydroxy–18, 19–dinorpregn–4–en–3–one)
(30) Norclostebol (4–chloro–17ß–hydroxyestr–4–en–3–one)
(31) Norethandrolone (17?–ethyl–17ß–hydroxyestr–4–en–3–one)
(32) Oxabolone (4,17ß–dihydroxyestr–4–en–3–one)
(33) Oxandrolone (17ß–hydroxy–17–methyl–2–oxa–5?–androstan–3–one)
(34) Oxymesterone (4,17ß–dihydroxy–17–methylandrost–4–en–3–one)
(35) Oxymetholone (17ß–hydroxy–2–(hydroxymethylene)–17–methyl–5?–and rostan–3–one)
(36) Prasterone (3ß–hydroxyandrost–5–en–17–one)
(37) Quinbolone (17ß–(1–cyclopenten–1–yloxy) androsta–1,4–dien–3–one)
(38) Stanozolol (17ß–hydroxy–17–methyl–5?–androstano [3,2–c]pyrazole)
(39) Stenbolone (17ß–hydroxy–2–methyl–5?–androst–1–en–3–one)
(40) Testosterone (17ß–hydroxyandrost–4–en–3–one)
(41) Tibolone ((7?,17?)-17–hydroxy–7–methyl–19–norpregn–5(10) en–20–yn–3–one)
(42) Tiomesterone (1?,7?–bis(acetylthio)–17ß –hydroxy–17–methylandrost–4–en–3–one)
(43) Trenbolone (17ß–hydroxyestra–4,9,11–trien–3–one)


Not only does the list cover almost all steroids, it states “and their derivatives”. On top of that, the Governor General has the right to add/edit/remove anything he wishes at his discretion.


Punishment. Let’s go over possible punishment for the various steroid offences.


Buying steroids:


(iv) to imprisonment for a term not exceeding eighteen months, where the subject-matter of the offence is a substance included in Schedule IV; or


(b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable


(i) for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both, and


(ii) for a subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or to both.


Trafficking:


(c) where the subject-matter of the offence is a substance included in Schedule IV,


(i) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or


(ii) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.


Importing or exporting:


(i) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or


(ii) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.


Producing/Manufacturing:


(i) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or


(ii) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.


Summary and indictable.In short, indictable is a serious offence, while summary, is a light offence, more or less, a slap on the wrist.


The Problem, Possession Or Trafficking.


First, let’s go over the definitions of possession, and trafficking.
Possession, as per the Criminal Code:
a) a person has anything in possession when he has it in his personal possessions or knowingly
i) has it in the actual possession or custody of another person, or
ii) has it in any place, whether or not that place belongs to or is occupied by him, for the use or benefit of himself or of another person; and
b) where one of two or more persons, with the knowledge and consent of the rest, has anything in his custody or possession, it shall be deemed to be in the custody and possession of each and all of them


Traffic
"traffic" means, in respect of a substance included in any of Schedules I to IV,


(a) to sell, administer, give, transfer, transport, send or deliver the substance,
(b) to sell an authorization to obtain the substance, or
(c) to offer to do anything mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b),


otherwise than under the authority of the regulations.


Possession is pretty straight forward, the term ‘traffic’, however, is a bit tricky. Under ‘(a) to sell, administer, give, transfer, transport, send or deliver the substance,’ if prosecutors have enough evidence they can convict you of trafficking, even if it is a person amount.


By the letter of the law, a mere two ampules could be considered trafficking. However, prosecutors would also need to prove the intent to traffic. It appears most steroid cases are hybrid cases, which will vary from case to case. Steroid trafficking convictions are rare, unless there is substantial evidence to prove trafficking. Even if you have more than a personal amount, (which again is not clearly defined) it will be difficult to prove your intent was to traffic. Most arrests regarding steroid trafficking in Canada will be against very large steroid sources, usually an underground lab itself.


Under ‘(c) to offer to do anything mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b),’ if you even TALK about selling, giving, etc., steroids, you can be convicted of trafficking steroids. Once again, there will need to be substantial evidence for them to even bring it to court.


Importing Steroids. As already mentioned, it is illegal to import anabolic steroids, and is a serious offence if they decide to follow through. That being said, customs/law enforcement very rarely take action when an order is seized. If it is a personal order, they will more than likely seize the package, and send a seizure letter. If it is a larger order, there is a small chance they can set up a controlled delivery. It’s only a small chance, because besides it being a large order, they don’t have significant evidence to convince a judge of steroid trafficking... the costs usually outweigh the benefits (possible conviction). Usually, if a controlled delivery is to occur, it will be to set an example, and/or gather enough evidence to convict a large steroid supplier. Because there is absolutely no precise definition in the Canadian Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, it makes it a lot harder to prove an individual had intent to traffic. It may be one ampule, or it may be 1000 ampules. I’ve personally seen individuals receive only a seizure letter in several large shipments, such as, 2000 ampules of a steroid, and several thousand tablets of an oral steroid in another instance.


Caught/Arrested With Steroids. Although legal to possess anabolic steroids in Canada, the ‘system’ does have it’s own loophole. As we’ve gone over, anabolic steroids are legal to possess, but aren’t legal to buy, produce, talk about buying, hold for a friend, etc…. You have to be very careful with your choice of words when found with anabolic steroids. Saying the wrong words means you can find yourself going from arrested for ‘possession’ of anabolic steroids, to arrested for ‘trafficking’ steroids. When in possession of anabolic steroids, without a prescription, you’ve more than likely obtained them illegally, and technically, law enforcement has every right to pursue where they came from. You best defense is to not say anything.


Even with a large amount of anabolic steroids, it is hard to prove you are trafficking, unless you were caught in the act of selling anabolic steroids, i.e. selling to an undercover officer or witnessed selling steroids by an officer.


However, getting caught selling to minors, or even around a school, and you are in trouble. Trafficking to or around minors is known as an aggravated offence, meaning more severe punishment. Hey, if you are caught selling to minors you deserve what you get!


Conclusion. Anabolic steroids in Canada are not a high priority to the government. The one downfall is that US government has made steroids a bigger priority, and often the Canadian government is not too far behind.


Similar to the UK, the Canadian government currently spends its time and money on more dangerous drugs.


Anabolic steroid convictions are rare, but they do happen. As said earlier, they need to make the occasional arrest to make an example, and show they are doing something. In the majority of steroid arrests, the individual was also trafficking more dangerous drugs, like cocaine, and pain killers, and the anabolic steroids are just a bonus. Other ways people put them selves at risk, selling openly and EVERYONE knows you are doing it, and selling two minors. Take part in one of these two, and you’ll bring attention to yourself rather quickly.


Minor offences for trafficking will rarely result in prison time, more than likely house arrest. However, if you get caught with more severe drugs, or an extremely large steroid supplier, jail time is a possibility.

 

[PRIDE]

Australia Steroid Market

Australia Steroid Market (First draft, needs editing)

The history of the steroid scene in Australia is rather fascinating, actually amazing. In the late 1990s, it took only a couple years for the steroid market in Australia to go from one of the best, to the absolute worst. What happened? The 2000 Sydney Olympics happened.

Let's take a trip down memory lane for some of the old timers, and give the newcomers a taste of how good things used to be in Australia. In the 1990s, Australia had the most vibrant steroid underground, majority of it being veterinary. It was cheap to buy steroids, products were being sent all over the world, and no one cared.

All the popular steroids were easily available. Testosterone, Deca Duarbolin(nandrolone decanoate), Dianabol, Anadrol(oxymetholone), Anavar(oxandrolone), Primobolan(methanone enanthate), Winstrol(stanozolol), Equipoise(boldenone undeclynate), Halotestin(fluoxymesterone), and many others. Australia became best known for it's stanozolol, and testosterone bladders. When I say bladder, I am talking about a jaw dropping 200ml and 500ml of injectable steroids. Ropel, Vibrac, and Banrot were all common manufacturers of the bladders. The only inconvenience of the bladders, was that they were low dosed, usually 75-100mgs/ml. However, at the time, a common dose of testosterone was 250mgs per week, so 3-4ml per week wasn't a big deal. What made these bladders appealing was the cost, and the quality. Quality standards were always high on the steroid bladders. The cost? Unbelievable. The 200ml and 500ml steroid bladders would sell for anywhere from $20-$40 for THE WHOLE BLADDER! That comes out to PENNIES per ml! Put that into comparison with today... a steroid user will pay roughly $10-$15 per ml. Why were they so inexpensive to buy? Because of availability. A user could walk into most vet supply shops, and simply ask for the products, and would receive them, no questions asked. No prescription, no license, nothing. The bladders became so desired that steroid users and dealers were requesting them all over the world. Customs in most countries were not as thorough as they are today, it was very easy to put the bladders in VHS cassettes, and send them on their way.

With the large farming industry, Australia also because famous for it's Winstrol. Illium, RWR, Jurox and Denkall were the most popular manufacturers of stanozolol. With easy availability, and large sized 50ml bottles, stanozolol was another highly desired product all over the world.

Another popular steroid which came out of Australia, worth mention is Drive. Drive contained 200mgs boldenone undeclynate(Equipoise) and 100mg methandriol. The product itself is nothing special, but in 2000, it was mentioned in MuscleMedia, and all the sudden everyone wanted it.

Loose steroid possession and importation laws, low steroid prices, and high veterinary product demand for farmers, made Australia the ideal steroid market for the steroid user. When it was announced Sydney would be hosting the 2000 Olympic games the Australian steroid market took a huge hit... one in which they would never recover from.

As said in the beginning, the change the Australian government made is absolutely amazing. In the years leading up to the Olympic games, Australia went from being one of the most 'open' steroid country, to the most strict, fierce steroid ridden country in the world. Cleaning up for the Olympics isn't uncommon, as China has recently done the same, but to stick with it, years after the Olympics passed through, is shocking.

Australia is an island, isolated from the rest of the world, which made the crack down on anabolic steroids a lot easier. Australian customs didn't have to worry about smugglers driving steroids across the boarder, like in Canada, US, and Mexico. The main concern of the Australian government, was stopping the steroids which were arriving via air mail from countries, such as, China, Thailand, India and the UK.

Australia tried to cover every possible angle of steroid trafficking, and they did a damn good job. Today, steroids are being discovered by customs and related organizations, on a daily basis, whether it be by air mail, planes, or boats. The Australian government is like a well organized, intimidating gang. They try and put fear into it's citizens, and make them think twice about attempting to import anabolic steroids. They openly publish all steroid busts, and often include quotes from government officials, almost bragging about their discoveries. In most countries, it is fairly easy to import steroid powders(convert into injectable or pills), steroid papers(oral steroids soaked and absorbed into regular looking paper), and steroid sachets(almost flat liquid contained packages). However, although not as frequently as they would like, the Australian customs have made a number of seizures of all three of these. All three, powders, sachets, and paper, are almost impossible to find. They are flat, lightweight, similar to the other millions of envelopes coming into the country daily. But sure enough, they've been discovered, and even if arrests were not made, the government makes sure it is known that these methods have been discovered, mostly for fear tactics. Still, the most common, and affordable way to obtain steroids in Australia, is through steroid powders and steroid sachets, as paper steroids are not as common as they once were. At this present time, I would estimate the success of importing vials/amps/tabs to be at 55-65%. Sachets at 75-85%. Powders at 85-95%. Often customs will simply send a warning letter to the individual, but arresting, and later fining the individual is not uncommon. See Australian steroid laws for more information. Is it worth the risk? Is it the most success way to acquire anabolic steroids? That is up to the end user.

Large amounts of steroid powders do find their way into the country, which has resulted in several underground labs. These underground labs are usually ran by the same people who traffic the majority of drugs in Australia, biker gangs. Unlike Canada, the UK, and United States, the majority of trafficking is done through local gyms and on the street. It is extremely rare to find an online source in Australia for anabolic steroids. The problem with underground labs, is the demand is so high that a) prices are usually through the roof, usually twice as much compared to average US prices, b) Quality is often poor, trying to produce as many batches as possible ie. a 300mg deca durabolin have showed up in lab tests as 80-100mgs on more than one occasion. It is not always the top of the food chain under dosing the steroids, because of the high demand, the products will pass through several 'dealers' before it reaches the end user. Who someone knows, will determine the price they pay and the quality they receive.

And the widely available veterinary supply? All gone. As mentioned in the steroid laws, all veterinary supplies are very tightly regulated, and almost impossible to obtain. Veterinaries are no longer allowed to supply farmers with anabolic steroids, the veterinary must administer the anabolic steroids themselves. Even with the tight regulations and security, some vet gear does hit the market, whether it be from theft, or a vet who is wise enough to cover his tracks. This is not the best way to buy steroids, there are too many fakes on the market, and similar to the UG labs, the dosages decrease as it makes it's way down the food change. The huge steroid bladders are even still being produced, but as with the other vet steroids, the quality from the vet manufacturers just isn't the same anymore.

Lastly, what about a real prescription from a doctor? First, the user must go to a specialist, Endocrinologist as anabolic steroids are on the 'prescribed restricted' list. This means it is not the doctors decision to give you steroids (which prevents 'friends' of the doctor, and under the table 'fees' being given to the doctor), it is decided by a third party organization which goes over the user's reasons for needing the anabolic steroids. Overall, Australia is rather behind when it comes to prescribing steroids for medical use, so it is not often prescribed.

The Australian government keeps it's customs and Federal Police well resourced. Airport security is extremely tight, while the Navy and offshore customs watch the air and water like hawks. However, like any other illegal drug trafficking, if there is money to be made, there will ways to get it into the country and distribute it. Being an island may be an advantage, but the overall size of Australia is it's own disadvantage. That being said, there is no country tougher on steroid importation, trafficking and possession.

Many steroid users have actually stopped taking steroids rather than risk importing, or injecting under dosed, or possibly fake steroids. Many believe it's just not worth the hassle. Others will continue to buy under dosed steroids, or be lucky enough to find legitimate products. Other than importing, the most common way to buy steroids is through the gym. As with other countries, there are numerous gyms in every city. Uniquely, the average citizen will come across 'steroid' gyms, and 'non-steroid' gyms. Some gyms will have almost no steroid users, while other big gyms like Golds or City Gym will often contain many steroid users, which make acquiring steroids much easier.

In the end, it's the user's decision if steroids are worth the risk in Australia. Once that is decided, the next decision will be the method they use, risk importing, Or overpay for possibly under dosed, but less risky anabolic steroids? All these variables must be factored in when someone decides they want to buy steroids.

 

[PRIDE]

Mexico Steroid Scene

When you mention Mexico and steroids to a long time steroid user, three things immediately come to mind. Sostenon 250 redijects, Brovel and Tornel.


Sostenon 250 or Sustanon (a blend of four testosterones equalling 250mgs) redijects were preloaded syringes, needle and all, manufactured by Organon in Mexico. Often referred to as 'harpoons' because they came with a thick 20 gauge needle attached to them. Many would replace the needle to 23 gauge, but there were some who just didn't care and would jam the thick pin in, as is. Organon eventually started manufacturing the redijects without the needle attached.


Sostenon redijects were dirt cheap, about $8, compared to a regular ampule of sustanon which would sell for $20-$25 in the US. The redijects came enclosed in a plastic case, covered by foil, making it more difficult to counterfeit. Organon, being a trusted company, also made the redijects more appealing. Add in the fact that border security was no where close to where it is today, Sostenon redijects were one of the most sought after products on the market. Even today older users still request the familiar redijects.


Brovel and Tornel were two labs which ran the Mexican steroid scene, as well as much of the US, especially in the south. Similar to the Sostenon redijects, their products were dirt cheap, and very easy to obtain. Individuals would drive down to Mexico, and bring back their own personal use, and suppliers would smuggle hundreds of bottles back.


As we came into the late 1990s, and early 2000s,the black market expanded, and less people were using Brovel and/or Tornel. Both labs become well known underdosed, and 'dirty' products. However, being so inexpensive, and many users remembering good results from their first steroid cycle, they continued to be requested by steroid users all over North America. At this time, there was a HUGE opportunity, and someone took it... enter Ttokkyo Labs.


With internet forums on the rise, Ttokkyo Labs put together a great brand, and a well executed marketing plan, which eventually led to millions of dollars a month in profits. They took what was wrong with Tornel and Brovel, and made it better, which equalled instant success. First of all, they designed the company to look like a legitimate veterinary steroid company. Then they upped the dosages with most of their products, compared to others on the market. For example, they dosed Equipoise at 300mgs/mL, where the most common veterinary product was dosed at 50mgs/mL. Instead of taking six mLs a week, you would take two. Ttokkyo Labs had trenbolone (better known as finaplix at the time) in their product line, which before then was created manually, using finaplix pellets. They also made high quality labelling and packaging, including holograms on the box... people like nice shiny things! To build their reputation, they got their products lab tested in the US. And finally, they created a buzz in the steroid forums. Before long everyone was talking about Ttokkyo, and everyone wanted Ttokkyo.


Shortly after Ttokkyo, a new lab followed suit, Quality Vet Labs. Also known for having quality products, they too were very successful... for a while.


In 2003, the US ran Operation TKO. Operation TKO was designed to crackdown on the supply of ketamine, a dangerous drug. There was a lot of money to be made in ketamine, as their is with any popular drug. Unfortunately for Ttokkyo, they couldn't resist the market, and dealt in ketamine, along with their anabolic steroids. Ttokkyo Labs was shut down in 2003, due to being involved with ketamine. However, even if they were not selling ketamine, it was a matter of time before their empire came crumbling down.
Two years later, in 2005, the US, in cooperation with the Mexican Federal Agency, had their largest steroid operation in US history. Operation Gear Grinder, was a Mexican steroid crackdown, that began 21 months earlier... possible coincidence it started shortly after Ttokkyo Labs was shut down? Almost all known Mexican steroid companies were targeted. Quality Vet, Denkall, Aninal Power, Tornel, Brovel, Pet's Pharma, Loeffler, and Syd Group were all involved in the crack down.


The arrests brought the Mexican scene to a stand still. Thousands of Mexican pharmacies which made their living by selling steroids to tourists, were now in jeopardy. Under dosed, and even zero active ingredient counterfeits hit pharmacies in order to make a profit. Several small new underground labs also formed, in hopes of resurrecting the Mexico steroid scene. Unfortunately, these were quick fixes, and Mexico needed a long term solution to bring the market back to life.


Today, several years later, things are slowly coming back. However, Mexico will never return to what it once was. High traffic tourist cities/areas should definitely be avoided. Almost every single one of these pharmacies are in business to target US tourists. Not only are their prices very high (on pace with local US street prices), there are a lot of fake products being sold. There is a lot of competition between the pharmacies, they will often cut as many corners as they can to bring their costs down. A steroid user must be experienced and know precisely what they are looking for, if they hope to purchase anabolic steroids in Mexico. This includes pricing, label quality, fonts used, rubber stoppers, etc.


Some of the labs now active in Mexico are Univet, Eurovet, Astrovet, Alchemia, Aranda, Immundo Labs and a newer XT Labs, which flat out targets bodybuilders, rather than the veterinary front.