He was a social media phenomenon, offering advice on sports, bodybuilding, and nutrition, backed by his medical training. This made it much easier for him to attract potential clients. The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) explained on Wednesday what he was like. modus operandi of the endocrinologist who was arrested two weeks ago along with eight other members ofa network that supplied The operation, which dealt in doping drugs and operated primarily in the Barcelona metropolitan area, but also nationally and internationally, at least since 2020, uncovered a network of individuals involved in the trafficking of doping drugs. The main suspect, an endocrinologist and former bodybuilder, was responsible for prescribing illegal medications, most notably growth hormone, a substance used in bodybuilding to increase strength and muscle mass, reduce fat, and enhance the effects of steroids. The doctor operated under the guise of clinics that claimed to offer medical advice to clients—who did not meet the requirements for such treatment—with the aim of boosting their physical performance and increasing their muscle-building capacity. In the thirteen raids carried out at various residences and locations, agents found approximately 40,000 tablets, over 500 pills for sexual enhancement, and 2,500 vials of growth hormone. These latter substances, moreover, came from illegal laboratories and were frequently counterfeit. To pass security checks, they were passed off as cosmetics or medical products from the Baltic countries for subsequent packaging and distribution. Among the seized substances were several counterfeit medications sold under the names of legal medicines in Spain.

The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) launched a police operation early Wednesday morning focused on the trafficking of medications and substances linked to doping. According to ARA, the Catalan police are attempting to dismantle a criminal network that supplies substances to gym clients to enhance physical performance and increase muscle mass. At least one of those arrested is a doctor, according to sources familiar with the matter. The police operation, which centered on the Barcelona metropolitan area, involved 150 officers from various units. However, it appears that the criminal group distributed these substances nationwide. Furthermore, it had a network of companies abroad through which it laundered the money earned from the illicit business. Throughout the day, the Mossos arrested nine people: eight men and one woman. They also carried out 13 searches, mostly in apartments rather than gyms, even though that's where the end clients were located, and seized up to €200,000 in cash and a large quantity of illegal medications. These searches took place in Barcelona, ​​Masnou, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Prat de Llobregat, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Castelldefels, Vallirana, Canyelles, and Salou.

Cheating in sports is nothing new. Even in Ancient Greece, some boxers cheated and offered money to their rivals to throw matches, since everyone wanted a laurel wreath and to be admired. The desire for victory, the dream of fame, or the pressure to succeed have led thousands of athletes to disregard all moral principles and cheat to get their way. And this includes doping, which is also not new. "It almost originated at the same time as professional sport in the late 19th century," explains Paul Dimeo, a professor at the University of Stirling, in a recently published study. Doping, between glory and deceit (Route Books) in conjunction with April Henning, from the University of Edinburgh.

They have been named Enhanced Games, which would mean some Enhanced Games. But whether they're an improvement is a relative question, since this sporting event scheduled for May 2026 in Las Vegas encourages the use of performance-enhancing drugs. A controversial idea founded in 2023 by Australian businessman Aron D'Souza has been financed by a venture capital fund backed by Donald Trump Jr., son of the US president, and billionaire Peter Thiel. A few days ago, the organizers announced, to promote the event, that Greek swimmer with Bulgarian roots Kristian Gkolomeev had broken the world record in the 50-meter freestyle, surpassing Brazilian Cesar Cielo's 2009 mark of 20.91 seconds with a time of 20.89 seconds. He achieved this while swimming alone and doped; an unofficial record, then.