Two Britons, a German and an American were arrested in Thailand this morning for alleged sexual offences against children. Officers from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) working in Britain infiltrated an online network and its officers travelled to Thailand to co-operate work with police in a joint operation.

The four men were arrested in different locations in Pattaya, a popular beach resort south of Bangkok, after early morning raids, and taken to Bangkok for questioning. A CEOP spokesman travelling with the team in Thailand told The Times that the suspects were allegedly involved in child sex abuse and using the internet for child pornography.

Police in Bangkjok displayed several images of children that were allegedly among hundreds of photographs and videos found in the possession of the four suspects, aged between 45 and 67.

At the news conference, one of the British suspects covered his face with a cap and glasses, while the second Briton tried to hide behind a small towel. Both protested that the publicity was unfair, since they had not been convicted. Thai police said that none of the suspects had been granted bail.

Eight boys and girls under the age of 14 had been identified as their alleged victims, Thai police said. The suspects were long-term residents of Thailand, and one of the Britons had lived in the country for more than 20 years.

"The Thai police are holding the suspects and taking them through the interview process," the CEOP reported. "The suspects will eventually be tried in Thailand." The CEOP team would shortly return to Britain, but its Operation Naga would continue, it said, and there could be more arrests in the near future.

Thai police said that the joint operation began about a month ago, and that the British-based agency had provided a list of as many as 50 suspected paedophiles."We are appealing to the victims of these paedophiles to come out so we can press more charges against them," chief investigator Police Colonel Suvichpol Imjairat told the press conference.

The alleged paedophile network was confined to Thailand, unlike that identified in Australia today. Nineteen Australians were arrested after a tip-off from Brazil last year, the Australian Federal Police said this morning. Referrals from the Brazilian police via Interpol had led to the identification of more than 200 potential offenders in 70 nations around the world, it said.

The CEOP said that there was no link between the Australian arrests and those in Thailand. Andy Wells, its deputy head of operations, said thatthe children found to be involved with the alleged Thai network would be cared for by care agencies and Pattaya's social welfare division.

It's chief executive, Jim Gamble, said that the CEOP had a valued relationship with the Thai police. "The UK and Thailand may have different legal systems and law enforcement practises, but we share a clear, joint commitment: to prevent harm to children."

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