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Government investigation finds illicit drugs widespread in Australian sport

A year-long government investigation has reportedly found widespread use of banned drugs and links to organised crime in Australian professional sport.

The government will hold a press conference this morning to detail the extent of the crisis.

Jason Clare MP has revealed that an investigation by the ACC found that the use of prohibited substances is widespread in Australian sport.

"The findings are shocking and will disgust Australian sports fans," Mr Clare said.

"We have found the use of prohibited substances including peptides, hormones and illicit drugs is widespread among professional athletes."

Mr Clare also revealed that drugs not safe for human use were administered to players, often through the teams sports scientists.

"Drugs are being facilitated by sports scientists, coaches, support staff, doctors and pharmacists," Mr Clare said.

"Some cases sports scientists are organising doping of entire teams"

"In some case players being administered with drugs not yet approved for human use."

Links with organised crime and match-fixing were found in the government's investigation with Mr Clare asking athletes to come forward if they are involved.

"We have also found organised crime involved in the distribution of drugs," Mr Clare said.

"It is cheating, but it is worse than that. It is cheating with the help of criminals"

"Don't underestimate how much we know and if you are involved in this come forward before you get a knock at the door."


Match Fixing revelations


The ACC report notes increasing evidence of personal relationships of concern between professional athletes and organised criminal identities and groups. This may have resulted in match fixing and the fraudulent manipulation of betting markets.

“The Australian Crime Commission has found that professional sport in Australia is highly vulnerable to infiltration by organised crime,” Mr Clare said.

John Lawler CEO of the Australian Crime Commission said the government's job was to stop criminal organisations from forging a deeper involvement in Australian sports.

"It is one thing to look at what organised crime has already done, our real challenge is to harden the environment so they don't get a foothold in the future," Mr Lawler said.

"What we are dealing with here is a serious threat of organised crime and it is pervasive."

AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou echoed Mr Lawler's sentiments on the power of organised crime.

"Organised crime is very pervasive, they find vulnerable players and infiltrate and today is a day we draw a line in the sand and collectively address that," Demetriou said.

MEDIA RELEASE: Organised crimes and drugs in sport

Senator Kate Lundy revealed ASADA's struggles with identifying prohibited substances where organised crime are involved.

"There are new substances out there in the market that a can't be tested for and and aren't know to the testing authorities because they are so new," Ms Lundy said.

"Point being we have to be forever vigilant to find out what is being used and how it is being used"

"One way to do that is increase the investigative powers of ASADA"

"There is no one solution to fixing this problem, there is no single test that can stamp out drugs in sport."

MEDIA RELEASE: National Rugby League

More to come.