THE orchestrator of an online steroid operation has been imprisoned for two years for illegal supply of prescription medicines, in a case brought by the NZ Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe).
Joshua Francis Townshend was sentenced after being convicted of advertising, possessing and supplying prescription medicines.
He pleaded guilty to 129 breaches of the Medicines Act, including possession, advertising and sale of anabolic steroids, clenbuterol, and related medicines illegally used for sports performance and image enhancement.
Under observation for some time with his website clenbuterol.co.nz, Townshend was associated with false names and bank accounts, while the products he sold were not of a pharmaceutical standard, Medsafe explained.
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