Alleged arms dealer Bout in Thai court for extradition case

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2008

BANGKOK (AFP) — A Thai court will on Monday begin extradition hearings for alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, which could see the man dubbed the "Merchant of Death" face terrorism charges in the United States.

Bout, who acquired his macabre nickname for his alleged role in supplying weapons to some of the world's bloodiest conflicts, was arrested in Bangkok in March after a sting operation headed by US agents.

Thailand's criminal court must decide whether there is enough evidence to send Bout to the US, where he faces four counts of terrorism for seeking to sell millions of dollars of weapons to Colombia's Marxist FARC rebels.

During an elaborate undercover operation, Bout allegedly agreed to supply surface-to-air missiles to US anti-drug agents posing...