SYDNEY, Australia -- Former Olympic canoeing silver medalist
Nathan Baggaley has been jailed and is facing more drug charges
after being arrested Wednesday with his brother for the
manufacturing and trafficking of ecstasy.
The new charges come a month after Baggaley, who won two silver
medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics, was told he cannot return to
competition due to other pending drug charges after serving a
two-year ban for taking steroids.
The 31-year-old Baggaley was arrested in northern New South
Wales along with his younger brother Dru after an investigation
into the manufacturing and trafficking of MDMA, the chemical used
to make ecstasy.
When they appeared in court on Thursday, the brothers did not
apply for bail and the magistrate, Annette Sinclair, said she would
have refused it if they had asked.
They were remanded in custody and will appear in court again on
Feb. 19.
Police said they seized 28,500 ecstasy tablets and a kilogram of
powder during a four-month investigation. The Baggaley brothers,
arrested in raids Wednesday on 10 homes and factories, were
scheduled to appear in court Thursday.
Police said the confiscated drugs were bound for the popular
Gold Coast tourist area in Queensland.
"We will allege these seizures will have a significant impact
on the availability of illicit drugs, particularly in this region
of New South Wales and on Queensland's Gold Coast," drug squad
commander Greig Newbery said.
In July, the three-time world champion was committed to stand
trial in Brisbane Supreme Court on drug charges after police found
762 ecstasy tablets in a car he was driving on the Gold Coast in
February.
Baggaley tested positive to two steroids -- stanozolol and
methindione -- in September 2005 and was subsequently banned for 15
months by the Australian Canoe Federation.
The suspension was extended to two years by the International
Canoe Federation when it refused to consider that Baggaley tested
positive because he had taken a drink from his brother's
steroid-laced orange juice container.