Who is Viktor Bout? The notorious arms dealer aka ‘Merchant of Death’, Released in Exchange for Brittney Griner

Victor Bout, a notorious arms trader, landed in Russia on Thursday, according to Russian news organizations. He took part in the prisoner exchange that resulted in the release of US basketball player Brittney Griner by Russia.

Upon reaching Russia, he embraced his mother. “Don’t worry, everything is OK, I love you very much,” Bout reportedly said after reaching Moscow from Abu Dhabi, according to the AFP.

In a sting operation set up by the Drug Enforcement Agency in Bangkok, Bout was apprehended from Bangkok in March 2008 when they pretended to be potential purchasers from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc. After his conviction in 2011, the US extradited him and gave him a 25-year prison sentence. From 2012 to 2022, he was imprisoned for ten years before being freed. Bout is known as the "Merchant of Death," and a book and movie with the same name based on his life exist. As a result of his supplying weapons to fighting parties in places including eastern Europe, Angola, Afghanistan, West Asia, the Central African Republic, and Sierra Leone, among others, British Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain dubbed him the "Merchant of Death." In a sting operation set up by the Drug Enforcement Agency in Bangkok, Bout was apprehended from Bangkok in March 2008 when they pretended to be potential purchasers from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc. After his conviction in 2011, the US extradited him and gave him a 25-year prison sentence. From 2012 to 2022, he was imprisoned for ten years before being freed. Bout is known as the "Merchant of Death," and a book and movie with the same name based on his life exist. As a result of his supplying weapons to fighting parties in places including eastern Europe, Angola, Afghanistan, West Asia, the Central African Republic, and Sierra Leone, among others, British Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain dubbed him the "Merchant of Death."

“Bout is the leading merchant of death who is the principal conduit for planes and supply routes that take arms… from East Europe, principally Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine to Liberia and Angola,” Hain was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Merchant of Death Who Sustained Wars