ORC CRACKDOWN ON DRUG DISTRIBUTOR

ORC crackdown on drug distributor

April 20, 2006
ORC crackdown on drug distributor

The Ontario Racing Commission - Investigative Unit, working with other police and regulatory services, has taken a supplier of drugs to the horse racing industry out of business.

On Tuesday the 18th of April 2006, authorities converged on a residence in the City of Toronto and on a Steel Company in Mississauga to execute two Search Warrants for illegal drugs, under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Food and Drugs Act. The combined forces included members of the ORC Investigative Unit, the Ontario Provincial Police Illegal Gambling Unit, the United States Food and Drug Administration, Standardbred Investigations Services and the Toronto Police.

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This is related to drug scandal at the Meadowlands.

Here is a related story:

ORC: Severe Penalties For Aranesp
Apr 19 The Ontario Racing Commission today issued the following notice to the industry regarding severe penalties for the acquisition, possession or administration of the drug Aranesp. The notice reads as follows:

The Ontario Racing Commission advises all Ontario racing industry licensees that severe penalties will be imposed on anyone found to have acquired, is in possession of or administered the drug Aranesp to a horse.

The ORC regulates a number of different testing programs to ensure the fair and safe operation of racing in Ontario, including the Erythropeietin (commonly known as EPO) Antibody Testing Program. While originally developed to treat people suffering from anemia associated with chronic renal failure, Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa) is classed as a potent long-lasting form of EPO.

EPO triggers the horse’s body to produce more red blood cells and is thought to improve performance by increasing the blood’s oxygen carrying capacity. However, regulators around the world have been working to eliminate the use of the drug because of its potential effects on performance and its detrimental impact on the animal.

Such control measures are essential in order to maintain the health and well being of the horse and the integrity of the industry and the public confidence.
(ORC)