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Stallone charged over growth drug | Stallone charged over growth drug |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone has been charged with importing a banned human growth hormone into Australia. | |
The actor, 60, was stopped at Sydney airport last month by customs officials who claim he had 48 vials of a banned substance in his luggage. | |
Stallone, who was in Australia to promote recent film Rocky Balboa, faces a possible fine of A$22,000 (£8,930). | |
The muscle-building hormone product, Jintropin, is classed as a performance enhancing drug in Australia. | |
Such products cannot be imported into Australia without a special permit. | |
Prosecution documents handed to a Sydney court on Tuesday said Stallone had marked "no" on a customs declaration form that asked if he was bringing restricted substances into the country. | |
HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE Made in the pituitary glandStimulates growth in childrenRegulates metabolism in adultsMedical uses include reversing muscle wastage in Aids patientsHas been promoted as an anti-ageing treatmentJintropin is a synthetic version of the hormone class="" href="/1/hi/health/medical_notes/98757.stm">Read more But an X-ray of bags belonging to his entourage uncovered the bottles of Jintropin, which is made by Chinese firm GeneScience pharmaceuticals. | |
"You have not been validly prescribed the goods by a medical practitioner for any medical condition suffered by you and for which the goods are recognised medical treatment," Stallone was told in a customs document submitted to the court. | |
Stallone and his team were held at Sydney airport for several hours following the discovery. | |
The maximum penalty for the offence is A$110,000 (£44,639) and a five-year prison sentence - Stallone faces a lesser fine because the case is being prosecuted in a local court. | |
The actor was not present to hear the charge against him at Tuesday's hearing. | |
He is thought to be in Thailand, where he is making his fourth Rambo film. | He is thought to be in Thailand, where he is making his fourth Rambo film. |
At the time, Stallone dismissed the incident as a "misunderstanding", adding that customs officials were "just doing their jobs". | |
"I just didn't understand some of the rules here," he explained. |
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