Following the report of the Italian police, which executed a search warrant of the national biathlon team Kazakhstan1 on 20 January 2018 in Antholz, Italy, IBU has today Wednesday 7 March 2018, notified Dr. Khossilbek Tagayev, who is team doctor of the Kazakhstan National Team, that he is provisionally suspended as of immediately due to a possible anti-doping rule violation. During the executed search warrant the Italian police found, among others seized medication packages and vials in Dr. Tagayev`s room, Prednisolone which is a specified substance prohibited in competition (S.9, Glucocorticoids). The police report states that the seized substances could have been used for prohibited methods, such as intravenous infusions with more than 50 ml. In accordance with the article 7.11.2 IBU Anti-Doping Rules, Dr. Tagayev was provisionally suspended from participating in any competition or any other activity sanctioned by the IBU as of 7 March 2018 onwards and pending the IBU Anti – Doping Hearing Panel decision of whether or not has he committed an anti-doping rule violation. The National Biathlon Federation of Kazakhstan is required to impose the provisional suspension of Dr. Khossilbek Tagayev as from the receipt of this notification. Dr. Tagayev is not part of the Kazakhstan delegation at the IBU World Cup 7 in Kontiolahti, Finland. The decision of the IBU Anti – Doping Hearing Panel will be published once available.