Thailand police have detained a Russian national wanted in several countries for supplying arms to insurgent groups and warring factions in South America, Africa and central Asia.
Viktor Bout was arrested in a Bangkok luxury hotel on Thursday in an operation that involved United States and Thai law enforcement agencies.
The 41-year-old former Soviet Air Force pilot dubbed the 'merchant of death', is accused of supplying weapons to rebels in Colombia and warring sides in several countries reeling under civil conflict in Africa and Central Asia, using the cover of his air cargo business.
"We have followed him for several months. He just came back to Thailand on Thursday," Major General Pongpat Chayaphan, commander of Thailand's crime suppression division, said.
"We will take legal action against him here, before deporting him to face trial in another country, (most) likely the US," he added.
Who is Viktor Bout?
Viktor is believed to have inspired Nicolas Cage's character in the 2005 film Lord of War.
According to UN reports, he set up a network of more than 50 aircraft around the world to facilitate his smuggled arms shipments.
He is considered by Western law enforcement as 'the most prominent foreign businessman' involved in trafficking arms to UN-embargoed destinations from Bulgaria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and other countries.
Recent reports said he was also operating in Iraq using front companies and Cargo Airlifts (Airline Transport, Air West, Aerocom and TransAvia Export).
Russia's Interpol branch confirmed on Thursday that both Belgium and Interpol issued warrants for his arrest in 2002, the agency said.
The US, which suspects that Bout helped Taliban and Al Qaeda militants, imposed sanctions against Bout in 2005 by freezing his accounts and submitting a list of 30 companies linked to him to the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee.
The US placed sanctions on Bout in 2006, seizing his fleet of cargo planes and freezing many of his assets, but he has never faced prosecution.
Thai authorities earlier said they would seek to prosecute Bout before he was extradited elsewhere. Bout earlier categorically denied accusations in an interview with Moscow radio station Ekho Moskvy, saying, 'I have never supplied anything to or had contacts with the Taliban or Al Qaeda.'
In 2007, Stephen Braun and Douglas Farah published a book on Bout entitled Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible.
Russia wants 'merchant of death'
Russia is going to seek Viktor's extradition from Thailand at the request of US authorities on charges of illegal arms trading, a Russian law enforcement source told RIA Novosti news agency.
"At this time, Russia is awaiting investigation materials from Thailand. After that, a decision to request extradition may be taken," the source said.
