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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Graeme Massie

‘Merchant of death’: Who is Viktor Bout, the arms dealer who was swapped for Brittney Griner

Viktor Bout Brittney Griner United States Nicholas Cage Paul Whelan Bangkok Prison
Getty Images

A notorious international arms dealer, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death” and was supposedly the inspiration for a character played by Nicholas Cage in the 2005 movie Lord of War, was released from US custody on Thursday (8 December) in a prisoner exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner.

US officials revealed that the one-for-one swap took place in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

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