The French Central office for the Fight against Environmental Damage and Public Health (Office Central de Lutte contre les Atteintes à l'Environnement et à la Santé Publique – OCLAESP) took several people into custody in Caen yesterday, including professional and amateur cyclists.
According to l’Equipe, the raid in north-west France occurred at dawn and was carried out by OCLAESP in relation to a trafficking ring for doping products. Those targeted included the suppliers, the users and doctors involved, and may extend into other sports beyond cycling.
The police have been interrogating those concerned to get as much information as possible.
The OCLAESP is the same body which was investigating the Astana team after infusion kits and syringes were found during the 2009 Tour de France. Infusions and transfusions are banned by WADA. The OCLAESP also met US investigators recently at Interpol’s base in Lyon in connection with the investigation into claims of doping by the US Postal Services team.
It is thought that the latter investigation has extended outside the US into an enquiry targeting doping practices across Europe; anti-doping officials and police agents from France, Italy and Belgium all met the US investigators in Lyon. It is unknown if yesterday’s raids were connected to that expanding investigation into doping networks.