The life of businessman Viktor Bout is a series of dubious successes that ended in prison. In addition to his own name, he is also called the "arms baron" and "merchant of death." His activity in the sale of weapons was assessed by the American court at twenty-five years in prison.
Biography
Victor Bout was born in Dushanbe in 1967. He grew up as a smart boy, after school he was almost immediately drafted into the army for military service. At that time, the army gave a great advantage when entering the institute, and therefore, after conscript service, Victor plans to get a higher education and enters the Military Institute of Foreign Languages.
His ability for languages is opening up, and already during his studies he begins to work as a translator in African countries. After graduation, Booth quickly learns Chinese and immediately leaves the army, having risen to the rank of senior lieutenant.
After that, Booth takes a job at an air transportation center, from where various supplies are sent to Brazil and Mozambique, and he often visits these countries for work. At that time, the idea of his own business with abroad came to him, but there was no such opportunity yet.
With the collapse of the USSR, everything changed: the aviation business fell into decay, and those who wanted to buy an aircraft could buy it for little money. Booth realized that this was a good time to start his own business and bought a plane, practically starting his own airline.
Business went uphill, and after some time he became the owner of the companies "Transavia" and "IRBIS". His first business was connected with the delivery of fresh flowers and frozen meat, but this, apparently, was not enough for him. He soon became the owner of Air Cess Liberia in the United Arab Emirates.
In 1996, Bout became a supplier of Russian fighter aircraft to Malaysia. And at the same time there were rumors that he was delivering weapons to the belligerent countries. Then Bout lived in Belgium, but was already "hooked" by the special services, which were monitoring his illegal business.
Crime detection
Afghanistan, Angola, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Al-Qaeda - these are, according to media reports, Bout's clients to whom he delivered weapons. Terrorists from these countries received weapons, which the enterprising businessman bought from factories in the post-Soviet space.
There were specific accusations in the media against him, but he got away with it. The pilots testified against him, but this was not considered a valid argument.
And only in 2002 in the United States were published the official figures of Bout's income from the arms trade - he earned more than thirty million dollars only on supplies for the Taliban.
Since 2005, the assets of Bout's companies have been frozen in different countries, and Bout himself has denied all accusations. In 2008, the US drug police arrested Bout in Bangkok, and in 2010 the court sentenced him to 25 years in prison.
In 2017, lawyers attempted to appeal the verdict, but the court refused.
Personal life
Victor Bout met his future wife in Mozambique, where he was practicing as a military translator. Alla Protasova became his wife in 1992, and a year later they had a daughter, Lisa. Booth's family has never been in his prison.
Based on the biography of Booth, two films were shot: Andrew Nikkola shot the picture "The Baron of the Armory", and Andrey Kavun - the picture "Kandahar".
