Mariusz Bak, 30, of Tullysaran, Co Armagh, who pleaded guilty at a previous hearing at Dungannon Crown Court, was given a two year jail sentence suspended for three years.

In May and June 2010 UK Border Agency officers in Belfast intercepted three courier packages from China intended for Bak’s address containing over 1.7 kilos of various Class C controlled steroids and over 13,000 labels for use on pill bottles. The value of the drugs if processed is estimated to be over £42,000.

In September 2010 a freight consignment, labelled as a metal press, also from China and addressed to Bak was discovered to be a single tablet press for compressing powder into tablets and capable of producing thousands of tablets a day.

Following this Bak was arrested and his former home in Dungannon and a gym he owned and ran in the same town were searched.

A number of items were seized, including steroids, receipts for glass vials and parcels posted abroad. A used syringe and hypodermic needle were also found at the gym.

Bak pleaded guilty on 18 November 2011 to the illegal importation and possession of controlled Class C drugs with intent to supply.

Malcolm Bragg, Assistant Director, UK Border Agency Criminal and Financial Investigation, said:

“This sentence reflects the severity of this crime. It sends out a message that we are serious about tackling those responsible for bringing illegal drugs into Britain. 

“Our highly skilled officers work tirelessly using the very latest technology to detect and prevent drugs from being smuggled into the UK. We are determined to combat drug trafficking which has such a destructive impact on the lives of so many.”

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to drug smuggling should call the UK Border Agency hotline on 0800 59 5000.