Alina Olteanu, Marius Batca, Ziua - Viktor Bout, the world's greatest arms dealer, was caught in Thailand, due to help from Romanian authorities. Bout's life and activity attracted film producers and he turned into a hero for the "Lord of War", with Nicholas Cage playing the leading part.

The Romanian customs police had a decisive contribution to the this event. Viktor Bout was being searched by the Interpol because of breaking UN embargos on gun trade in several states. He was arrested last Thursday [??] in Bangkok. According to the US prosecution, both Bout and Andrew Smulian, an accomplice of the Russian criminal, who has recently activated on Romanian territory too, were charged last Thursday [Thursday, February 12, 2009] by the New York Justice. But authorities in Thailand haven't decided yet whether to sue him in the country or extradite him to the US or Russia.

The US authorities demanded the Romanian customs police to help them identify and retain Viktor Bout, according to the IGPE. Together with colleagues from the Drug Enforcement Administration, who came to Bucharest on this very purpose, the Romanian customs policemen settled several action plans to catch Bout, as there was information that he was taking interest in meeting with some "gun beneficiaries".

In November 2007-February 2008 Bout and Smulian agreed to sell guns of million dollars to "two confidential sources" working with the Drug Enforcement Administration, who pretended to be representatives of the FARC. During some meetings held in Romania, which were recorded, Smulian told the two DEA collaborators that Bout could give them at once 100 SAM missiles, helicopters and more equipment, just as he could arrange for the guns to reach the Colombian territory. (...)

The Russian was to be arrested in Romania in February 4-11, but he canceled his trip. Together with his accomplices, Bout is accused of intending to sell 100 missiles to the Revolutionary Forces in Colombia for $ 5 million. Bout is also charged with supplying guns to Liberian leader Charles Tayler, to the rebels in Congo, the Talibans and the Al-Qaeda members in Afghanistan.

The US wants Bout extradited, but Thailand wants to sue him for terrorism. Lawyer Viktor Burobin claims this arrest is "unacceptable" and he is asking that his client be given to Russia, for there is no charge against him there. (...)

This article was first published at Ocnus Net

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