Sylvester Stallone faces trouble in Australia
Posted on March 15, 2007
The actor, Sylvester Stallone, best known for his roles as Rocky and Rambo, is facing the prospect of a stiff fine for allegedly trying to bring vials of a muscle-building hormone into Australia, where it is restricted. Lawyers for Stallone represented him in a Sydney court on Tuesday where he faces one charge of importing a banned substance.
Prosecution documents revealed that Stallone had marked “No” on a customs declaration card that asked if he was bringing into Australia restricted or prohibited goods “such as medicines, steroids, firearms, weapons, or any kind of illicit drugs.” An X-ray of bags among his those traveling with Stallone on their arrival Feb. 16 to promote Stallone’s latest “Rocky Balboa” movie prompted a search that revealed 48 vials of the human growth hormone product Jintropin. This product is made by a Chinese firm called GeneSciene Pharmaceuticals.
Human growth hormone, a naturally occurring substance that can be replicated synthetically and is used to build muscle mass, is considered a performance enhancing drug in Australia and it cannot be imported without a permit from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Stallone did not appear in the Sydney Local Court for Tuesday’s hearing, and was excused from appearing at another hearing scheduled for April 24 as long as a lawyer appears on his behalf. He will be required to enter a plea at the next hearing.
Whatever trouble Sly is facing in Australia, isn’t he a bit old to be portraying a boxer at this point in his career?
Photo from www.stuff.co.nz
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