VILNIUS, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian police on Thursday detained two coaches of the national track cycling team, and brought formal suspicion of doping distribution against them.
Police said that they raided the training facilities in Panevezys, Lithuania's main cycling sports town, last week and found "large quantities of doping and possibly psychotropic drugs".
"Two coaches of Lithuanian national track cycling team have been taken into custody, and formal suspicion of illegal disposition of doping with an aim to distribute it have been brought against them," Klaipeda police said in its statement.
The police said that they started the investigation following the request from the country's andi-doping agency.
According to local media reports, the police detained coaches Antanas Jakimavicius and Solveiga Baleisyte, who may be fined or imprisoned for up to four years.
The head of Lithuanian cycling federation Romualdas Bakutis told media that he was surprised by the allegations.
"All of our cyclists attending European and world championships are constantly tested," Bakutis told news website 15min.lt.
He revealed a week ago that the federation received a request from World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in regards to the athletes trained by Jakimavicius.
Soon the cyclists were given doping tests, but the results are still unknown, he added.
The Lithuanian national men's track cycling team ranks 9th in UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Men elite spring ranking and 12th in UCI Men elite keirin ranking.
Currently, the Lithuanian national women's track cycling team ranks 4th in UCI Women elite spring ranking and 9th in UCI Women elite keirin ranking.
The arrests follow a broader investigation on suspected doping distribution which started in Klaipeda, Western Lithuania, and involved the president of the Lithuanian weightlifting federation.
"The officers received information that the coaches of Lithuanian track cycling team might be connected with illegal trade of doping substances which had been found at the President's of Lithuanian weightlifting federation in April," the Klaipeda police said.
Last month, local media reported that Bronislovas Vysniauskas, the president of the Lithuanian weightlifting federation and coach of several well-known athletes, was suspected of doping distribution.
However, Vysniauskas denies the allegations.
