07 March 2008

Notorious Arms Dealer Arrested in Thailand

I've deliberately chosen the Moscow Times for the story, because at least it means you dont have to read the DEA press release disguised as journalism. Belgium have wanted him since 2002 for arms dealing in Africa. The DEA got the Thais to arrest him by pretending to be FARC [confused yet?]...which sounds awfully like entrapment.
Our man is Uzbek born but a Russian national, and is alleged to have inspired the "Lord of War" character in the 2005 Nicholas Cage film [Times story here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3504284.ece]
and here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3498795.ece
Serious allegations in the latter about his role in the Sierra Leone conflict.
The story raises the problem: you cant be a one-man arms dealer, so who makes these arms, who sells them to him, apparently he does have a transport fleet, and who handles the money?
Well, the allegation is that he is ex-KGB, so it can't be anybody in the West, can it??? Watch this space as usual, although he's likely to be stuck in a Thai jail for a while yet.
Oh yeah...Why was the DEA engaged in this operation?

No comments: