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BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - A lawyer for a purported Russian arms dealer says his client has committed no crimes "anywhere in the world" and is optimistic that he will beat charges that allege he was buying arms for Colombian rebels.
Viktor Bout, 41, who has been called "The Merchant of Death," was arrested two weeks ago at a luxury hotel in Bangkok after a U.S.-led sting operation. He was charged with conspiracy for allegedly trying to smuggle missiles and rocket launchers to a rebel group in Colombia that is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
"Mr. Bout has declared his innocence," his Russian-based attorney Dasgupta Yan told reporters on Monday.
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