Suriname President Desi Bouterse said Friday that his son has been arrested on arms trafficking allegations in Panama, apparently at the request of the United States.
“We were informed but for now I will concentrate on the Unasur summit,” Bouterse told AFP when quizzed about press reports of his son Dino.
Bouterse, who previously led the former Dutch colony under a military dictatorship, made the remarks at the summit for regional leaders being held in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname.
Local press reports said Dino Bouterse was detained in Panama at the request of American officials. He was previously jailed in 2005 after a judge convicted him of leading a gang that trafficked cocaine and weapons.
When he was released his father gave him a job as director of the country’s anti-terrorism unit.
Suriname leader's son arrested over arms trafficking
