Bodybuilder-Civil Engineer Fined for Importing Anabolic Steroids Into Canada
Salim Satir, amateur bodybuilder, civil engineer
Anabolic steroid possession for personal use is technically legal in Canada although a steroid user lacking a medical prescription could have the drug seized. Only steroid trafficking, steroid manufacturing and steroid importation are illegal under Canadian law. The penalties for steroid importation are not always particularly severe in the absence of evidence of distribution.
S. Satir, Ph.D. of Canada, a civil engineer and top amateur bodybuilder, was fined $1000 after he pleaded guilty to one charge of “failing to report imported goods” in May 2009. The Crown dropped one charge of “smuggling prohibited goods” as part of the plea agreement.
Satir was caught in possession of approximately 26,000 tablets consisting of six different types of steroids and five different bodybuilding ancillary drugs on February 4, 2009. Customs officials at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport discovered the drugs repackaged in supplement bottles and a wooden backgammon set in Satir’s luggage. Satir was returning home to Canada on a flight from the United States after visiting Turkey for two months (”Bodybuilder fined $1,000 for trying to bring steroids, other pills into country,” May 27).
Mr. Satir told investigators that he had purchased the drugs in Turkey for $2,000.
“He advised that he had obtained the pills for his own personal use, and the Crown has no evidence to the contrary,” federal prosecutor Suhanya Edwards told the court.
The Crown agreed to recommend the $1,000 fine because Mr. Satir entered a guilty plea at the first opportunity, co-operated with the authorities and has no criminal record.
Judge Bill MacDonald pointed out that it isn’t against the law in Canada to possess steroids but it is illegal to bring them into the country.
In return for the guilty plea, the Crown withdrew a charge of smuggling prohibited goods.
Dr. Satir has earned master and doctoral degrees in civil engineering and has had considerable success as a competitive bodybuilding winning the titles of Mr. Turkey and Mr. New Brunswick in national and international competition.
Mr. Satir won the title of Mr. Turkey as a junior bodybuilder and placed ninth and 15th at the world junior championships.
After becoming a Canadian citizen, Mr. Satir was named Mr. New Brunswick in 2005, when he won the heavyweight and overall titles at that province’s bodybuilding championships.
He finished fourth in the heavyweight division at the 2007 Canadian championships and fifth at the 2008 nationals.
Satir has founded two companies to reflect his professional interests as an engineer and his personal interests as a bodybuilder.
Fortunately, Canada does not see fit to incarcerate gainfully-employed, otherwise law-abiding white collar professional for mere steroid possession for bodybuilding purposes.