Thais Drop Case Against Russian Arms Dealer

MOSCOW, Russia — Thai authorities have dropped their criminal investigation into a suspected Russian arms dealer, Viktor Bout, as the focus of the case turns to a fight over his extradition to America, one of his lawyers said.

America has until early May to formally submit its extradition request, and hearings could take as long as two years, one of his Russian lawyers, Yan Dasgupta, said in a telephone interview from Moscow yesterday. He faces a 15-year sentence on the charges of supplying weapons to terrorists, Mr. Dasgupta said during the conversation.