Spanish authorities have busted a massive EPO trafficking network based out of Barcelona, according to a report in El Pais.
The EPO distribution ring was led by a group of Serbian nationals, but was based out of Barcelona and relied on EPO from a publicly funded Andalucian clinic. The ring shipped EPO to athletes all over the globe, and sold to some 260 athletes in 2019 alone. The athletes are both amateurs and professionals, from cycling and other sports.
Authorities caught the scent in 2017, after a number of athletes who tested positive for EPO pointed back at the same source. The investigation was led by the Public Health and Doping section of the Central Operating Unit (UCO) of the Spanish Civil Guard, and six individuals have been arrested in Catalonia and Andalusia. They are charged with laundering of capital, misappropriation, fraud against Social Security, money laundering, and crimes against public health, according to El Pais. The source of the drugs, from a publicly funded clinic, resulted in the the fraud charge.
The network allegedly operated for at least ten years. The ring communicated with buyers through encrypted instant message networks.
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