# Lord of War tour arrives to Thailand: 35 tons of N. Korean weapons on a plane. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 12, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-war-tour-arrives-to-thailand-35-tons-of-n-korean-weapons-on-a-plane/521018 "2009-12-12T20:12:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-war-tour-arrives-to-thailand-35-tons-of-n-korean-weapons-on-a-plane/521018/21 "2009-12-15T18:13:19Z")
I haven’t checked with my agent lately, but I’m pretty sure an illegal arms shipment wouldn’t be insurable. Who’s eating the loss on this one? ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-war-tour-arrives-to-thailand-35-tons-of-n-korean-weapons-on-a-plane/521018/22 "2009-12-16T01:07:20Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > All sorts of rumors flying around among the press people I know. Despite the embassy denial I mentioned earlier, a lot of people here believe the plane was indeed forced down by request of the White House, presumably because they figured the weapons on board contained nuclear components. > > If they did, no one’s saying anything. > > Someone over here mentioned an _Associated Press_ story that dug into the background of the plane and found it was indeed conected somehow to some company connected to Viktor Bout. He’s still in jail in Bangkok. The Thai courts wouldn’t extradite him to the US earlier this year, but they’re still holding him while they investigate some of his doings. the crew of this plane they just nabbed are being held in a separate facility but very close to where he is. Could be a reunion in the making! 😃 Thank you Sam. I didn’t know he was currently being held in Bangkok. Interesting. AS for the flight distance, Bout’s planes are notorious for having poor to minimal maintenance, so the fact that one may not be getting the alleged MPG (so to speak) shouldn’t come as a surprise at all. It may also have been a mechanical failure that they were originally trying to hide, which has gotten lost in the bigger story. This would also match Bout’s MO. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-war-tour-arrives-to-thailand-35-tons-of-n-korean-weapons-on-a-plane/521018/23 "2010-02-02T04:59:50Z")
The weapons are now believed to have been destined for Iran. See [here](http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ao1WXiqzMSdQ). But there’s some doubt about that, and interestingly the authorities are dropping all charges against the five crew and releasing them. (Still holding onto Viktor Bout, though.) See [here](http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/32028/dogs-of-war-or-players-in-a-political-game). ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-war-tour-arrives-to-thailand-35-tons-of-n-korean-weapons-on-a-plane/521018/24 "2010-02-11T11:34:45Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > The weapons are now believed to have been destined for Iran. See [here](http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ao1WXiqzMSdQ). > > But there’s some doubt about that, and interestingly the authorities are dropping all charges against the five crew and releasing them. (Still holding onto Viktor Bout, though.) See [here](http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/32028/dogs-of-war-or-players-in-a-political-game). Gee, good thing they got caught with just 35 tons of heavy weapons, had they been found carrying a 100gr bag of marijuana they’d be in death row by now. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-war-tour-arrives-to-thailand-35-tons-of-n-korean-weapons-on-a-plane/521018/25 "2010-02-12T03:09:06Z")
They’re all being released. It’s in the news this week. By request of their home countries, Belarus and Kazakhstan, so they can be prosecuted there. Uh-huh, right. I feel a rather large cash payment may have accompanied these requests. I’ve heard all five crew may be ex-KGB. But all sorts of rumors are swirling around them. It’s even doubtful now Iran was to be the recipient of the arms. But whether they were ex-KGB or not, Lordy! If you look at their photos, these are guys you do not want to meet in a dark alley. I think their photos appear under the dictionary entry for “thug.” Still holding Viktor Bout, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-war-tour-arrives-to-thailand-35-tons-of-n-korean-weapons-on-a-plane/521018.md?page=1)