Stallone Charged With Taking Banned Hormone Into Australia

Sylvester Stallone has been charged with importing vials of a banned human growth hormone into Australia.

The 60-year-old American actor, who had been in the country to promote his latest film, Rocky Balboa, faces a charge of importing a banned substance after airport staff found 48 vials of the hormone Jintropin in his luggage.

Lawyers for Stallone represented him in a Sydney court today, where prosecution documents allege that he had marked "no" on a customs declaration card asking whether he was bringing in prohibited goods.

However, the actor and his entourage were detained by customs officials for several hours after staff at Sydney airport searched his bags and allegedly found the banned substance.

His hotel room and the private jet he planned to use were searched three days later, when he was handed a summons by customs officers to face court.

A customs document, handed to the court today, told Stallone: "You have not been validly prescribed the goods by a medical practitioner for any medical condition suffered by you and for which the goods are recognised medical treatment."

Stallone did not appear in the Sydney local court for the hearing and was excused from appearing at another hearing next month provided a lawyer appeared on his behalf. A plea must be entered at the next hearing.

Human growth hormone is used to build muscle mass and is considered a performance-enhancing drug in Australia. It cannot be imported without a permit.

The maximum penalty for bringing human growth hormone into Australia illegally is a fine of £45,000 and five years in prison, but the court can only impose a penalty of £9,000.

During his visit to Australia, Stallone shrugged off the airport incident, saying: "It was just a minor misunderstanding. They were just doing their jobs. I just didn't understand some of the rules here."

The actor is thought to now be in Thailand, where he is making his fourth Rambo film.