Source: www.uk.reuters.com
By John Mehaffey
The criminal underworld now controls a large proportion of world sport, World Anti-Doping Agency director general David Howman said on Wednesday.
Howman told a doping conference convened by the World Sports Law Report at Twickenham rugby stadium that the criminal elements who controlled illegal betting were also involved in steroid trafficking.
"My inside information has it that the underworld is now controlling a significant proportion of world sport," he said.
"The criminal underworld is providing prohibited substances. For $100 (62 pounds) you might get a return back of between $10,000 and $100,000. That's a good return on your investment, the criminal world thinks it's wonderful
"They are also involved in money laundering and bribery and so on."
Howman said there was more money made in trafficking illegal performance-enhancing drugs than in dealing heroin with criminals obtaining the raw materials for illegal drugs and producing them in kitchen laboratories.
"Then they are distributed to our kids and our grandchildren. People are dying," he said."
Howman told reporters his information came from law enforcement people "far more experienced and knowledgeable than any one of us."
"They say the underworld is involved in betting, in distributing steroids and it's the same jokers, it's not anybody new," he said.
"I have been saying this for five or six years and now INTERPOL are justifying it. They now have the numbers and the information and they are really worried about it."
Howman also told the conference there was evidence that there had been attempts to bribe doping control officers with money in brown envelopes.
He told reporters the amounts involved were "thousands of dollars."
BIOLOGICAL PASSPORTS
Pat McQuaid, president of the International Cycling Federation (UCI), told the conference disciplinary proceedings had been opened against seven riders on the basis of evidence from their biological passports which were introduced into the sport in 2008.
All professional riders have to provide blood samples to the UCI, which creates a unique medical profile of each athlete.