Australian Human Growth Hormone smuggler convicted

"A Customs and Border Protection investigation has led to the successful prosecution of a 32-year-old Carlton man for illegally importing 70 ampoules of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in the post from China.

Mohamed Sabra was convicted on Tuesday (9 June) in Downing Centre Local Court and ordered to pay a total of $17,000 in fines and costs in relation to Human Growth Hormone smuggling offences.

The investigation began following the detection of a package in Sydney on 9 March 2008.

The package was the subject of an x-ray examination, at which time anomalies were detected. Following a further examination, 50 ampoules of Human Growth Hormone were found in the package.

A second package addressed to the same recipient arrived in Sydney on 14 March 2008 and when examined by a Customs and Border Protection officer it was found to contain 20 ampoules of Human Growth Hormone."

The moral of this story is never ship a second package until the first one has safely arrived.