An American expat was arrested for allegedly selling illegal steroids to fund his motorbike-rental business in Pattaya.
Jerry Robert Nielsen, 66, was caught in a sting operation allegedly selling 10 boxes of Ansomone human-growth hormone for 75,000 baht to an undercover police informant at a bakery on Thappraya Road Dec. 26.
Police then searched Nielsen’s Cozy Beach Condo View apartment where they found no other drugs, but did seize bank books, financial transaction documents and titles to numerous motorcycles and cars.
Provincial narcotics investigators said Nielsen’s arrest stemmed from the February capture of Joshua Paul Pate in Chiang Mai, who was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for running a gang selling HGH and steroids across the country. His sentence was halved when he confessed and he is now working with police to identify others in the network.
Police alleged that Pate’s arrest dried up supplies of illegal HGH in Thailand, so Nielsen ordered more from Hong Kong and falsified import documents to get them through customs.
Investigators alleged that Nielsen used the proceeds to buy bikes and cars that he’d rent to foreigners, a business that on its own already had turnover of a half-million baht.
