Don't be a dope, this is the Olympics

Australian customs officials made a record 1,125 seizures of performance-enhancing drugs over the past 12 months, up 16 percent from the previous year, the national government said on Monday.

Most of the seizures were of anabolic and androgenic steroids which are restricted from import in Australia but are available "over-the-counter" from pharmacies in some countries.

While the drugs are sometimes used by athletes to boost performance levels, a spokesman for Justice and Customs Minister Amanda Vanstone said there was no way of knowing whether the increased flow could be tied to the Sydney Olympics starting next month.

"There is nothing to substantiate that," the spokesman said.

The seizures were 40 times more numerous than in the 1994-1995 fiscal year, Vanstone said in a statement.

The seizures, mostly consisting of one or two bottles of pills at a time, resulted in 17 prosecutions, she said.