Viktor Bout: Weapons Smuggler May Be the Tip of the Iceberg

Ariel Cohen /

Documents from WikiLeaks published in International Business Times disclosed that American officials warned Washington that the Russian intelligence services are working closely with organized crime. This did not come as a great surprise, as Viktor Bout, one of the most infamous alleged arms traders, was extradited from Thailand last month.

The search for Bout took close to 10 years, and the excruciating extradition procedures took two more years. There were numerous court appeals and legal motions in the Thai courts, but Bout lost in the end. While there was also some political pressure from Russia and the U.S., Thailand observed the necessary legal procedures, and the extradition appeared to be legal. (more…)