Steroid Ring Busted

Steroid Ring

On September 24, 2007 the Drug Enforcement Administration reported that 124 people had been arrested in connection with a steroid trafficking ring. The investigation, called Operation Raw Deal, began a year and a half ago. It started with thirty Chinese companies that were shipping raw materials into the U.S. No athletes have been connected to the bust yet, but thousands of emails connecting users to the manufactures have not been looked through by investigators.

This latest steroid bust could mean even more athletes will be found to have used performance enhancing drugs. Some people who do not watch sports may not think it is a big deal, but really it is. Steroids are illegal like many other drugs. People who use steroids are breaking the law. Athletes who use them are also ruining the integrity of the game. It is not fair for other players to be at a disadvantage. Many Americans watch sports for entertainment, which makes money for many people. If players in these sports are cheating, not as many people will watch. Fewer viewers mean less money for companies that depend on the popularity of sports.

In 2005 eight Mexican steroid manufacturers were busted. These eight manufacturers accounted for four out of every five steroid pills in the world. This created a void in the market, and the Chinese and Americans filled it. There were fifty-six different sites raided, and 224 kg and 1.4 million dosage units of steroid were found. To me this seems like an extremely large number. The sites themselves were unsanitary. Many of the ingredients were being mixed in bathtubs and sinks.

The authorities will continue to investigate the emails found, and the message boards they had been watching. The truth is now known about the underground steroid market: the product is unsanitary and probably not safe to ingest or inject. It will also be interesting to see if any more athletes will be found guilty of cheating. Hopefully someday we can trust our athletes.

Grade Received: 10/10