LONDON, March 17: The criminal underworld now controls a large proportion of world sport, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Director General David Howman said on Wednesday. Howman told a doping conference convened by the World Sports Law Report at Twickenham rugby stadium that the criminal elements which controlled illegal betting were also involved in steroid trafficking.

"My inside information has it that the underworld is now controlling a significant proportion of world sport," he said. "The criminal underworld is providing prohibited substances. For $100 you might get a return back of between $10,000 and $100,000. That's a good return on your investment, the criminal world thinks it's wonderful.

"They are also involved in money laundering and bribery and so on."

Howman said there was more money made in trafficking illegal performance-enhancing drugs than in dealing heroin with criminals obtaining the raw materials for illegal drugs and producing them in kitchen laboratories.

"Then they are distributed to our kids and our grandchildren. People are dying," he stated.

"I have been saying this for five or six years and now INTERPOL are justifying it. They now have the numbers and the information and they are really worried about it."-Reuters