Jacques Monsieur, a notorious arms trafficker sentenced last year to four years in prison by a court in Belgium but since then a fugitive, has been arrested in a small village in Portugal, the federal police confirmed, after a report by VTM News.

Monsieur has a long history of dubious and downright illegal arms trades, and is known to law enforcement authorities the world over. In June 2017 he was sentenced to three years and fined 300,000 euros for having delivered automatic weapons, ammunition, tanks helicopters planes and other military equipment to countries at war, including Libya, Chad, Pakistan and Iran, in breach of international sanctions.

His history, according to VTM, dates back to the 1980s, when he supplied arms to Iran in the long war with Iraq. Since then he has had convictions in the United States, in connection with the notorious Iran-Contra affair, and in France. According to VTM, there has not been an armed conflict in the last 35 years in which he was not involved as a trafficker of weapons.

He appealed the conviction, and the Court of Appeal in Brussels last year responded by increasing his sentence to four years, and bumping his fine up to 1.2 million euros.

He took flight, and proved untraceable for a time. He is known to own a farm in Tarascon in France, where he owns a number of horses. The place was searched and placed under surveillance, but there was no sign of Monsieur.

Then last month, nine of his horses were transported to Portugal, and the trace was followed by the Fugitive Action Search Team (FAST) of the federal police, who finally tracked Monsieur down to a discreet property with stables.

He will appear before a court in Portugal today, where Belgium will request his extradition to allow him to serve his sentence. </s> Belgian authorities are seeking the extradition of a convicted arms trafficker who was arrested in Portugal this week after a year-long run from justice.

Federal police said Friday that they finally picked up Jacques Monsieur's trail when they monitored the transport of nine horses to an estate in Evora in eastern Portugal, where the equine enthusiast was finally caught.

Police said in a statement that "the fugitive had a secret hideaway in a big mansion next to the stables." Police said Monsieur had been convicted and sentenced to four years in prison last year for illegal arms trafficking to several nations including Libya.

In 2010, he had already been sentenced to two years imprisonment in the United States on arms trafficking charges. </s> BRUSSELS - Belgian authorities are seeking the extradition of a convicted arms trafficker who was arrested in Portugal this week after a year-long run from justice.

Federal police said Friday that they finally picked up Jacques Monsieur’s trail when they monitored the transport of nine horses to an estate in Evora in eastern Portugal, where the equine enthusiast was finally caught.

Police said in a statement that “the fugitive had a secret hideaway in a big mansion next to the stables.” Police said Monsieur had been convicted and sentenced to four years in prison last year for illegal arms trafficking to several nations including Libya.

In 2010, he had already been sentenced to two years imprisonment in the United States on arms trafficking charges.

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Arms trader Jacques Monsieur is to defend himself again at a Brussels court against accusations of arms trafficking to Libya, Chad, Guinea-Bissau, Pakistan and Iran between 2006 and 2009.