Bout may be brought to court in next few hours

NEW YORK. November 17. KAZINFORM Suspected Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, who was flown to New York after being extradited from Thailand, may be brought to court in the next few hours, a law enforcement source said on the condition of anonymity; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

Bout is to appear before a federal judge in the Southern District of New York to hear his bill of indictment and meet his state-appointed lawyer, the source said.

Judicial proceedings are usually launched after several days or even weeks.

The plane landed at the Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, some 60 km north of New York, a U.S. law enforcement official told AP on the condition of anonymity.

U.S. lawyers told RIA Novosti that Bout is likely to be taken to downtown Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC).