The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is expanding a specialised department titled the Intelligence and Investigations (I&I) Offensive to include Asia and Oceania. The expansion follows the success of the program in Europe since 2022.
European project
Since the initiation of the project in Europe in 2022, the I&I unit of WADA has worked with local law enforcement to crack down on the distribution of illicit performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). These operations have led to the seizure of 25 tonnes ( of PEDs and the shutdown of 25 illegal laboratories.
WADA is hoping the program will have a similar impact in Oceania and Asia. Director Günter Younger told Reuters that the majority of PEDs seized by the European operations were going to be shipped to the U.S.
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Younger told Reuters: “[Authorities] prevented more than 500 million doses of PEDs coming on the global market, which is really significant. So this is where our management decided, wow, that's a good project, we want to continue. Now we are hoping to have the same impact, perhaps on a different scale, in Asia and Oceania."
Sport Integrity Australia CEO Dr. Sarah Benson said: “[We are] proud to be partnering with WADA on this important initiative.”
Future
WADA intends to continue to expand this program to the Americas and Africa before 2030. WADA’s relationship with the U.S. is currently under strain, after a federal investigation into the anti-doping organisation about the alleged mishandling of a case involving 23 Chinese national team swimmers. The U.S. also withheld funding from WADA in protest of its handling of the case.
