Fine for steroids import

The wife of an international wrestler and body builder was fined $6000 today for importing huge amounts of anabolic steroids into Australia.

Catriona Elizabeth Igram, 31, of Lismore in northern NSW, pleaded guilty in the District Court in Brisbane to recklessly importing anabolic substances on August 19, 2001.

Igram lives with her husband, Jyrki Esa Allan Savolainen, in Finland, and only visits Australia to see her family.

Judge Brian Hoath noted cases concerning the importing of anabolic steroids were extremely rare, with the only precedent being Igram's husband, who was convicted on three charges since it became completely illegal just before the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.

He was fined $6750 in August 2001 when he was convicted in the Brisbane Magistrates Court for knowingly importing 40 grams of the same steroids.

Savolainen is a professional wrestler known as Thunder who was based in Thailand in 2000.

He is also a champion body builder who has been competing internationally since the 1980s.

Judge Hoath said as a result Savolainen maintained his fitness and condition by regularly using anabolic steroids.

He had been bringing the drugs into the country and declaring them for years.

However, in May 2000 new laws were introduced before the Olympic Games which made the practice illegal.

Igram was carrying the drugs packaged as vitamins when she was detained at Brisbane Airport in August 2001 after flying in from Thailand the previous day.

She was carrying two different types of steroids, one which is a synthetic derivative of testosterone and another which is stronger and toxic to the liver.

Steroids are used by body builders to increase their size and strength and have a number of adverse side effects including reduced libido, testicular shrinkage and behavioural changes.

Igram was carrying enough of the drugs to last several lifetimes, as she had a total of 375 grams when just 40 grams is enough to last one person up to 20 years.

Igram's barrister Sam Di Carlo said she thought she was carrying vitamins.

Igram has been unable to return to Finland since she was charged in February because she had her passport confiscated.

But she was booked on a flight to Finland tonight