'Grabbed': Gallen was detained by customs at Sydney airport as Cronulla returned from New Zealand after their Saturday match against the Warriors. Credit:Getty Images Fairfax Media has been told ASADA now has much more information to put to the players from text messages, emails and credit card transactions than when Cronulla back-rower Wade Graham was interviewed on April 29. Gallen is among a further nine Sharks players due to be interviewed before August 28 and the 31-year-old Test forward has admitted to being frustrated by suggestions he was ASADA's No.1 target. When contacted on Monday night, Gallen denied his phone had been confiscated or that information was downloaded by customs. Fairfax Media was told that players from another club were also quizzed by customs after returning from a recent match against the Warriors but officials said they were unaware of that happening.

Fists of fury: Gallen, who met Daniel Geale along with Sharks teammate Chris Heighington yesterday, said he didn't think Cronulla had had great support from the NRL over the ASADA investigation. Credit:Wolter Peeters Another source said Gallen was pulled aside by customs on instructions from ASADA, along with other passengers on the flight from Auckland so it would not be obvious that he had been targeted. Fairfax Media understands Gallen was accompanied by a member of the club's management during the interview. He was delayed so long that the Sharks team bus eventually left the airport without him. An official was sent back to wait for Gallen and they later caught a taxi to Cronulla. Paul Gallen is expected to be interviewed by ASADA officials this month. Credit:Penny Evans ''Customs grabbed Gal and they held him for a while,'' a source said. ''It reached the stage where the bus couldn't wait any longer.''

Gallen said the customs officers had simply made a routine inspection of his playing gear. ''I had my boots looked at like everyone else,'' said Gallen, who would not field any other questions on the matter when Fairfax Media spoke to him. Approached by Channel Seven when he finally emerged at the airport on Sunday, Gallen said: ''I f---ing lost my bag.'' Under new legislation that came into force last week, ASADA can compel people to hand over any documents, including text messages and emails, that may assist an investigation into doping allegations. Refusal to do so can result in a fine of $5100 per day. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement: ''Customs and Border Protection does not confirm, deny or comment on interactions with individual passengers.'' A person associated with customs officials revealed the officers were ordered to act upon a request from ''another federal government agency'' to download all data from Gallen's mobile phone.

Fairfax Media understands the officers were unhappy about what was described as a ''bullshit order'' but they had no option except to do as they were told. They did not know which agency made the request. ASADA said it was not able to respond to an enquiry from Fairfax Media on Tuesday. NRL officials were unaware Gallen had been delayed by customs and the Sharks had not reported the incident to the newly-formed integrity unit as clubs are required to do if any of their players were involved in an off-field incident. Gallen last week severed ties with former ASADA legal counsel Richard Redman, who, in conjunction with Rugby League Players Association silk Andrew Coleman SC, had represented all Cronulla players since allegations that Sharks players had used banned substances first surfaced in February. Gallen said he had done so after being advised by family members and people he respected to have ''independent'' legal advice.