Medicines and electronic equipment were seized in a police raid on the Bahrain Victorias team this week, French authorities confirmed Thursday evening.

The riders and staff had their homes raided in an international anti-doping operation on Monday ahead of their move to the Tour de France, and on Thursday Danish police raided the team's hotel in Copenhagen the day before the Tour began.

Danish authorities did not comment on the matter at the time, noting that the investigation was being led by French police, but the prosecutor's office in Marseille issued a statement to the French news agency AFP.

It confirmed that items had been seized and detailed that the homes of the three riders had been searched. Damiano Caruso of Bahrain Victorious told Cycling News on Thursday that he was one of them, but the identities of the other riders have not been revealed.

"From June 27-30, 2022, an international judicial and police mass manhunt took place across Italy, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, and Denmark.

"The operation, coordinated by Eurojust with the cooperation of Europol, allowed the judicial and police authorities of these countries to search the homes of the director of the Bahrain Victorious professional cycling team, three riders, an osteopath and a doctor, and the team's holding company, WINNING SRL's Several searches were conducted at the headquarters of the team. 11]

"A search of the hotel room where members of the cycling team are staying in Copenhagen was also conducted today."

"The team's team members were also searched in the hotel room where they are staying in Copenhagen.

The statement further explained that items, including medical supplies, were seized as part of the operation.

Bahrain Victorious, in its statement regarding the hotel raid, stated that "no items were seized." The police statement did not specify which search led to the seizure.

"Electronic material (phones, computers, hard drives) and medicines (of undetermined nature and origin or requiring a prescription) were seized," the statement said.

"The seized items are subject to analysis and further investigation."

The operation follows a raid in the middle of the night on Pau's hotel in Bahrain-Victorias during last year's Tour de France. Last year's police statement related to the possibility that "members of Team Bahrain Victorious acquired, transported, possessed, or imported prohibited substances or methods for use by athletes without a valid reason," according to the police statement.

Last year, it was reported that testing of hair samples from athletes found traces of tizanidine, a powerful muscle relaxant. This is not prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, but may indicate off-label use of the drug. No other findings have been identified.

Bahrain Victorious claims that they are not cheating and are complying with the authorities. However, they have complained of a lack of communication from French police, who, following Monday's raid, noted that the investigation was "aimed at deliberately damaging the reputation of the team."

The Bahrain Victorious riders, who are competing in the Tour de France, have been barred from speaking to the media about the matter. The team insists it is focused on competing, but was unable to answer a series of questions related to the investigation at a pre-race press conference on Thursday.