Co-defendant of Russian arms trafficker appears in US court
The co-defendant of alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death" for supplying weapons to war zones around the world, has been detained after a court appearance in New York.
Andrew Smulian appeared in Manhattan district court late Monday on charges of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and was detained without bail.
Prosecutors did not say where or when Smulian was arrested.
His alleged accomplice Bout was arrested in Bangkok last week and was detained after a Thai court hearing earlier on Tuesday. He also faces US charges of conspiring to provide arms to Colombian rebels.
Over the years, Bout, 41, is said to have supplied arms to Afghanistan's hardline Taliban militia, Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, Marxist rebels in South America and former Liberian leader Charles Taylor.
He was finally caught after a 12-month undercover operation in which US drug enforcement agents infiltrated Bout's inner circle posing as Marxist Colombian rebels seeking an arsenal of weapons.
Bout can be held in Thailand for 84 days without charge. Thai police are currently scrambling to come up with evidence to try him in the kingdom.
If they cannot come up with a case, US officials have said they are determined to extradite him. Russia has also hinted that it plans to seek Bout's extradition.
AFP
