On the police facts sheet and the court attendance notice that you may have received you will have a reference to the law part and a short description of offence. These references help the court and the legal profession to identify the exact offence you have been charged with. The law part and short description for this offence are set out in the table below:

The maximum penalty for the charge of intentionally import prohibited tier 1 goods (steroids) (Section 233BAA Customs Act) is a fine of 1,000 penalty units or imprisonment for 5 years, or both.

Note: This charge relates to importation of 20 grams or more (pure weight) of anabolic or androgenic steroids. Importation of a lesser amount is an offence under Section 233 of the Customs Prohibited Import Regulations (Schedule 8). The maximum penalty for this lesser offence is a fine of 1,000 penalty units or imprisonment for 5 years or more.

In NSW, a court can impose any of the following penalties for an intentionally import prohibited tier 1 goods (steroids) charge.

• Section 10: Indecent Assault proven but dismissed
• Fine
• Good behaviour bond
• Community service order (CSO)
• Suspended sentence
• Intensive correction order (previously periodic detention)
• Home detention
• Prison sentence

You’ll find a brief description of each of these penalties at the bottom of this page.

Likely Penalty

District Court

Based on our experience and statistics from the Judicial Commission of New South Wales we believe that the penalty in a case that is within the mid range of seriousness for the offence of procuring person to prostitution for drugs, if heard in the District Court, is likely to be a conditional release under section 20 of the Crimes Act.

To convict you of an intentionally import prohibited tier 1 goods (steroids) charge, the police must prove each of the following matters beyond a reasonable doubt:

1. the person intentionally imported goods; and
2. goods were tier 1 goods and the person was reckless as to that fact; and
3. their importation:
   1. was prohibited under this Act absolutely; or
   2. was prohibited under this Act unless the approval of a particular person had been obtained and, at the time of the importation, that approval had not been obtained.

They will also need to prove that you were the person who committed the intentionally import prohibited tier 1 goods (steroids) offence.

Possible defences to a intentionally import prohibited tier 1 goods (steroids) charge include but are not limited to:

• Duress
• Necessity
• Self Defence

The offence of intentionally import prohibited tier 1 goods (steroids) can be dealt with in either the local or district courts.