Olympic drug security stepped up

The authorities in Australia are planning strict security measures -- including body searches -- to ensure that competitors at the Olympic Games don't smuggle in illegal drugs.

A senior customs official, the Olympic coordinator, John Hawksworth, told the BBC that an extra two-hundred inspectors would be on duty at Sydney airport to greet competitors.

He said officers would decide which individuals or teams should be subject to thorough questioning and examination, but he denied that there was a hit list of particular competitors.

The main targets would be people suspected of trying to smuggle growth hormones.

Security will also be strictly enforced at the Olympic accommodation village, with police carrying out regular searches.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service