It happened at the border crossing between Puerto Iguazú (Argentina) and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay). The General Directorate of Customs seized 15 boxes of medical products.Hormotrop Somatropin", whose action consists of replacing growth hormones (GH or Somatotropin), announced the state agency today (18.09.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX).
The focus of the operation was a bus full of tourists who was trying to enter Argentina. "The bus belonged to an international passenger transport service that runs between Iguazú, Foz do Iguazú and Ciudad del Este," said Argentine Customs, clarifying that many people take it to make purchases in neighboring countries.
The customs staff asked the tourists to get off the plane so they could carry out the corresponding inspection. After asking the passengers the usual questions, the agents continued with the inspection of the luggage through a non-intrusive method of control: the scannerThus, the analysis of the images provided by the Customs technical team revealed a suspicious package.
In the checked baggage, the customs officers They found 15 boxes and a vial of a drug known as “the growth hormone”, of foreign industry and origin.
In children, it is used to treat growth retardation, growth problems associated with kidney disease, children with Turner syndrome, and also Prader-Willi syndrome. In adults, it is given to treat growth hormone deficiency accompanied by loss of muscle mass (muscle tissue) due to HIV, or short bowel syndrome, among others.
A detail. This type of drug became very popular because it was the treatment that Lionel Messi used when he was a child to replace the growth hormone that his body did not produce naturally.
But how is the country doing in terms of its drug marketing policy? In Argentina, its use is regulated. It is sold under medical prescription in injectable form and must be administered under strict medical supervision due to the side effects it can cause. In addition, import and export are regulated by the National Administration of Drugs, Food and Medical Technology. (ANMAT) by Provision No. 13.831/16. This body is the one that issues the import authorization to be presented to Customs.
And what else can we know about drugs? It is vitally important that its administration be regulated and administered by a doctor.
"There are people who consume this drug illegally for the purpose of improving athletic performance, physical and muscular development, but without medical supervision and without control, the Adverse effects "They can be very dangerous," Customs explains.
He adds that the side effects of short-term use are joint pain, muscle pain, fluid retention and swelling in the joints and alteration of normal hormonal cycles in the body of both men and women.
The agency warns that illegal use leads to its application being used injectably "without the care of pharmaceutical hygiene procedures", and people who use it illegally may be exposed to "HIV, AIDS or hepatitis». Long-term high doses may cause "heart disease and hormone problemsles irreversible«.
«At the same time, illegal sales do not ensure the quality of the product and may contain unknown and potentially toxic ingredients, even Death risk "due to intoxication," Customs stressed.
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