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| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| Thais reject US request to extradite arms smuggler |
| 2009-08-11 |
| Out bid by the Russians? A Thai court Tuesday rejected a U.S. request to extradite an alleged Russian arms smuggler dubbed the "Merchant of Death," dealing a setback to American efforts to try him on charges of plotting to supply weapons to Colombian rebels. Viktor Bout, 42, was arrested in March 2008 at a luxury hotel in Bangkok as part of an elaborate sting in which U.S. agents posed as arms buyers for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which Washington classifies as a terrorist organization. He is being held in a Bangkok prison, but could be set free if no appeal is filed. "We will not extradite him to the United States," said Judge Chittakorn Pattanasiri, of the Bangkok Criminal Court. Chittakorn said the court rejected the extradition request because Bout had not been accused of committing any crimes against Thailand, which has not listed FARC as a terrorist group. If an appeal is filed, Bout will be held pending further proceedings. U.S. Embassy deputy chief of mission James F. Entwistle said Thai prosecutors have said they will appeal the case and that Washington supports that. Bout has been linked to some of the world's most notorious conflicts, allegedly supplying arms to former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. He has repeatedly denied the accusations. The U.S. is seeking Bout's extradition on charges he conspired to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to FARC, including more than 700 surface-to-air missiles, thousands of guns, high-tech helicopters and airplanes outfitted with grenade launchers and missiles. He has been indicted on four terrorism-related charges in New York and could face life in prison. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #1 not good |
| Posted by: 3dc 2009-08-11 15:02 |