BANGKOK (AFP) - Two Britons were arrested Friday in the Thai seaside resort of Pattaya on charges of using the Internet to illegally export steroids to the United States, police said.

Police gave the names of the two detained men as Ashly Vincent Livingston [Redicat?], 45, and Edwin Richard Crawly [Ox, from British Dragon], 44. They were arrested in a sting operation involving US anti-drug agents, police said.

The Britons were picked up on warrants issued by the United States and implemented in cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The men are set to be extradited to the United States as Thai police said they face no charges in the kingdom.

The Britons, who were living in Pattaya with their Thai wives, also had 40 million baht (1.2 million dollars) worth of their assets frozen, police said.

Livingston's wife was arrested on a separate Thai warrant for drugs charges, police added.

Livingston and Crawly set up an online store to sell steroids to customers in the United States. Steroids are legal in Thailand but are a controlled substance in the US.

Earlier this month, the DEA worked with Thai police on an elaborate sting operation to arrest alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who has been charged in New York with conspiracy to provide arms to terrorists.

Bout is being held in Thailand while prosecutors decide whether to bring him before a Thai court before extraditing him to the United States.

From pattayadailynews.com: BRITISH STEROID GANG APPREHENDED IN PATTAYA BY DEA AND THAI POLICE March 22, 2008 100 Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.) officers, equipped with arrest warrants, in co-operation with Thai police, today arrested a British gang selling steroids illegally in Soi Chaiyapreuk, Pattaya and seized assets worth over 20 million baht [approx. $630,000]. At 8.00 am, 21 March, 2008, Police Major General Amaresrit Wattanawiboon, Commander of Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), who had been co-ordinating with Mr. Andre Kellum, an officer of the D.E.A., acknowledged that there was a gang of foreigners who were running a network selling steroids in Pattaya. The police and D.E.A. officers, acting on arrest warrant no. 98/255, searched a two-storey house in Pattaya New City Village, Soi Chaiyapreuk , Jomtien Beach Road. The police later arrested Mr.Edwin Richard Crawley (44) a British national who lives in the house, which he had used as the centre of operations for his business. According to the police report, Mr. Edwin Richard Crawley originally opened a company called "Nutri Med. Co. Ltd." registered as an import-export company. However, police did not find any illegal items or incriminating evidence, only documents relating to the import and export of goods. Another police team also searched a single house opposite and found Mr. Graisorn Tongrak (31) the son-in-law of Mr.Edwin Richard Crawley, who was looking after the house for his father-in-law. Once again, police did not find any illegal items. After that, the police took both suspects to search another building in the same soi [soi=road], registered as a company called "Vincent Centre Service Co. Ltd. operating a postal and utility bill payment service. Here, however, police found several empty bags of drugs, called "British Dragon" and 2,500 copies of steroid instruction sheets. The D.E.A. officers took the steroids away for evidence. They also searched a warehouse behind the Nutri Med. company office, where they found and confiscated two machines used to pack steroids and also seized two land deed papers relating to the two houses, a Toyota car, a BMW R1200 RT motorbike, and 13 bank books which contained millions of baht; in total property worth about 20 million baht. A third group of police later arrested Mr.Ashley Vincent Livingston (45) British, and Mrs. Jirawan Livingston (38), his wife, living at a house in Moo. 10, Soi Kow Noi, Pattaya Hill 1. According to the information police have received, they all belonged to the same gang, whose boss was Edwin Richard Crawley. At this house, the police did not find any evidence, but seized a land deed paper, a Honda and a Toyota car, jewellery, 100,000 baht in cash [approx. $3,000], and six bank books, which had many tens of millions of baht in the accounts. Police Major General, Amaresrit Wattanawiboon, revealed that Thai police were originally notified by the D.E.A. that they had intercepted steroids, which had been delivered to America in plain envelopes and on investigation, discovered that the biggest operation was in Pattaya . Edwin Crawley had been importing steroids from China through the Internet and then forwarding them to USA and Europe. On receipt, customers would send money to his account in Thailand. Some of the goods were sent to Pattaya and repacked in dolls or fruit, to be sent to Europe by parcel or in plain envelopes. Mr. Ashley had been worked with Mr. Crawley as his assistant, finding customers for him. This operation had been running since 1999. It made him a millionaire, being able to afford to buy property in Pattaya worth 20 million baht. Mr. Crawley was also a volunteer, helping charities in Pattaya, so he was well known among the high-society set. He is also the coach of a disabled weight lifting team, which has won many trophies. Despite Mr. Crawley's other good works, police arrested him and the other gang members, committing them for trial on charges of having imported, possessed and exported illegal drugs as well as not having paid tax. After a Thai trial, they will all be sent to America for further processing.