Through his Instagram profile, which has thousands of followers, he warned of the “danger of falling into the wrong hands.” But it was precisely him, the endocrine and former bodybuilder Alexandre Costawell known in the world of “fitness”, who put his friends in danger … to patients, by providing them, without any medical supervision, growth hormone, testosterone and viagra -the latter, to attenuate the effects of the first two drugs- and the money he obtained, both from his consultations and from the sale of these, he laundered through a company abroad, of which he was the owner and which had no activity. The drugs were imported from the Baltics – mainly Estonia – disguised with chamomile oil, which was perfectly legal. Thus, the parcel shipments did not arouse suspicion. The investigation into the Mossos d’Esquadrawhich resulted in his arrest, as well as that of eight other members of the network, began last January, after receiving a complaint regarding the irregular activity of the doctor.
The investigations led them to discover their professional misconduct. Costa acted as the ‘visible face’ of a drug trafficking network and doping substances. Through his social networks, the former famous bodybuilder has dedicated himself to attracting potential clients in the province of Barcelona. But it also offered online consultations, which allowed it to extend its activity throughout Spain. After this first advice, he suggests they buy drugs on the black market. Its origin was that of the so-called “under” laboratories; Illegal distribution platforms. In fact, in this case, they had falsified medicines that were legal tender in Spain.
The risks to patients were very high. “Testosterone, for example, is marketed to treat pathologies in people with problems with the gonads: tumors or genetic problems. Tests are carried out before and during their administration, analyzes are carried out,” specifies the doctor. Núria Vilarrasa, head of the endocrinology department at Bellvitge Hospital. During the press conference intended to reveal the details of the police operation, the specialist warned that “taking these substances without adequate supervision, when one has normal testosterone production, can lead to a risk of thrombosis, stroke and possible cardiovascular diseases.” Consumption of this hormone causes the body to stop producing it, leading to problems of infertility and impotence “associated with its continued consumption.”
Costa led the network, as the “visible face,” attracting customers via Instagram
Likewise, with the growth hormonethe organization’s flagship product when used in the world of bodybuilding to increase muscle mass. “It has to be a very controlled treatment, used in children who have problems, or deficits, or in people who have received radiotherapy, or who have a tumor in the pituitary gland, which is the gland that secretes it.” Its uncontrolled administration can lead to muscle hypertrophy – such as the heart – as well as type 2 diabetes. “Very serious and often irreversible health problems,” Vilarrasa said.
For the moment, the Catalan police do not yet have a definitive number of people concerned, but they estimate that it will be “very high”. After the endocrinologist, there was a second person in the network, responsible for managing the logistics of the medications. After that, Costa directed his patients to an instant messaging app, a closed group, so they could place the order. “And that’s where the rest of the members of the organization come in,” detailed the sergeant. Santiago López, head of the Central Consumer Unit of the Mossos.
The agents, in the present case of Bleaching unitappears in 1.5 million euros in hidden wealth from Costa. He invoiced his clients by transfers to his account abroad. Although it has been operational since 2020, thanks to its popular Instagram profile, it began to deploy its financial network around four years later, or at least that is what the Catalan police have been able to prove so far. “An opaque financial structure, aimed at facilitating tax evasion,” specify the sources of the investigation. Among the assets acquired to launder money from the drug network, the former bodybuilder acquired high-end vehicles, real estate, cryptocurrencies and something less common: spent 200,000 euros – the Mossos believe in cash – in role cards. The intention would have been to resell it in order to recover more than the investment.
Although a court decision has already been made for its closure, to date Alexandre Costa’s profile on social networks is still operational. The same goes for his medical license, which will be resolved as the procedure progresses, still in the investigation phase. Seven of the nine detainees were handed over to the Court of Instruction 9 of Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona) and were released, accused of crimes against public health, money laundering, falsification of public documents and membership in a criminal organization. During the exploitation of the file with a dozen entries and searches, on November 26, the Catalan police seized 250,000 euros in cash, around 40,000 tablets, as well as 2,500 vials of growth hormone and 500 Viagra tablets.
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