Russian alleged arms dealer Viktor Bout on Tuesday was extradited from Thailand to the United States after the Thai premier gave his approval.
Bout was arrested in Thailand in March 2008 at the request of Washington on charges of attempting to sell weapons to agents posing as members of the Columbian rebel group FARC.
His extradition to the United States was ordered by the Thai appeals court on August 20, but was not carried out because the United States brought a second set of charges against him in February.
These charges were dropped in early October, bringing the so-called Merchant of Death one step closer to extradition. His remand period was due to expire on Friday.
Russia's consul in Bangkok, Andrei Dvornikov confirmed the information, saying "Bout was taken from Thailand on board a Gulfstream plane. Presumably to the United States."
Bout was the inspiration behind the 2005 Hollywood film "The Lord of War."
LEGALITY QUESTIONED
Bout's Thai lawyer, Lak Nitivat, said the extradition was illegal.
"The things that are happening today are absolutely outrageous," the lawyer said earlier, adding that the Thai authorities had not informed him, Bout's wife, or the Russian embassy in Bangkok about the move.
"[Thai authorities] again showed that in Thailand there is absolutely no law or it is directly dependant on the U.S.," Bout's brother Sergei Bout said in an interview with Russia's Kommersant daily.
"The U.S. authorities just do whatever they want to do," he said.
RUSSIA'S REACTION
Moscow will continue to defend Bout, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"Undoubtedly, the illegal extradition of Bout is a result of the unprecedented political pressure on the Thai government and the judicial authorities by the United States," a ministry statement said.
Bout's handover questions the independence of the entire Thai judicial system, the statement went on, adding that there was no "rational explanation or justification" for the decision.
Meanwhile, the secretary-general of the Thai Security Council, Thawil Pliensri said that Thailand's extradition of Bout to the United States would not damage Russian-Thai relations.
"This decision will not create a problem with Russia because our foreign ministry has already talked with Russia," the Bangkok Post cited Thawil Pliensri as saying. "It's our decision, no matter whether Russia agrees or not."
MOSCOW, November 16 (RIA Novosti)
