Helsinki: Finnish police are investigating leading Finnish discus coach Kari Mattila who was seized at home with large quantities of banned performance-enhancing drugs.

“We are investigating the case,” a senior Finnish central criminal police officer said on Saturday.

Possession of banned drugs is a criminal offence in Finland.

Mattila is the former coach of Timo Tompuri who is scheduled to take part in qualifying on the first day of the 10th world championships on Saturday.

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said Mattila could face sanctions under the world governing body’s rules.

“We will await a report from the Finnish federation,” he said.

Finnish team leader Jarmo Makela said on Friday he was aware there had been a police investigation.

“It is important to keep in mind that Kari Mattila has not been engaged in any coaching cooperation with Timo Tompuri since October 2004 and that he has no official connections to the Finnish athletics federation or the Finnish team at the world championships.”

Finnish team spokesman Mika Noronen said Tompuri had been tested several times this year.

“All have been negative,” he said.

Noronen also said Mattila had no official links to the Finnish team and that he had not been Tompuri’s coach since the end of the 2004 athletics season.

“We know that we are doing things right. I don’t think that this uproar will affect team spirit,” he said. “For Timo Tompuri this is, of course, unfortunate, he must be feeling as if somebody wants to stab him in the back.”

Finnish public broadcaster YLE said on Friday police had wanted to keep the investigation on hold until after the world championships.

Six Finnish cross-country skiers were caught using banned substances at the 2001 Nordic skiing world championships in Lahti, Finland, in the country’s biggest-ever doping scandal.