Russian arms dealer Victor Bout's extradition to U.S. interrupted

[News_Editor]

Russian arms dealer Victor Bout's extradition to U.S. interrupted

2010-10-05 04:33:57 GMT+7 (ICT)

BANGKOK, THAILAND (BNO NEWS) -- The extradition of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to the U.S. was delayed after a court in Thailand on Monday rejected a second set of charges requested by the U.S.

Bout, 44, was arrested in March 2008 during a U.S.-Thai operation in Bangkok, which led to conspiracy charges of selling weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The U.S. then requested his extradition as he is accused of trafficking arms to warlords around the world since the 1990s.

However, the extradition, which was ruled in an appeals court on August 20, was delayed because of legal issues regarding the second set of charges that included money laundering and fraud.

The "Merchant of Death," as he has been called, has denied the charges, saying he was on a business trip selling planes.

Bout, who is also a former Russian air force officer, is also being requested to be extradited by Russia as media speculations say he could reveal military secrets and intelligence operations.

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