New York: US officials today announced they had charged alleged Russia arms dealer Viktor Bout on four counts of terrorism for seeking to sell millions of dollars of weapons to Colombia s FARC rebels.

The Department of Justice officially unsealed the indictment against Bout, who has been held in a maximum-security prison outside Bangkok since his arrest by Thai authorities on March 6.

Bout, known as the "Merchant of Death" for his alleged role in funnelling weapons to some of the world's bloodiest conflicts, was nabbed by US agents in a Bangkok hotel and faces life in jail if convicted on the US charges.

The indictment, which upgrades an earlier criminal complaint filed in March, specifically accuses Bout of conspiring to sell millions of dollars in illegal arms to Colombian FARC rebels and of conspiracy to kill US nationals.

He has also been charged with conspiracy to kill US officers or employees and conspiracy to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile.

"Viktor Bout has long been considered by the international community as one of the world's most prolific arms traffickers," New York Attorney Michael Garcia said in a statement, announcing the indictment.

"With the unsealing of this indictment, we are one step closer to ensuring Bout has delivered his last load of high-powered weaponry," added the Drug Enforcement Administration s acting administrator, Michele Leonhart.

According to the indictment, Bout, accused of being an international weapons trafficker since the 1990s, used a fleet of cargo planes to transport weapons and military equipment to Africa, South America and the Middle East.

Source : PTI