Viktor Bout, the gun dealer arrested in Thailand, was in connection with Syrian businessman Omar Hayssam, Realitatea TV reports. The trace from which Romanian authorities' investigations in the Viktor Bout case started emerged while prosecutors from the DIICOT (Department to Counter Organized Crime and Terrorism) were doing research on Omar Hayssam's involvement in gun trafficking. The information in the case started from Mohammad Munaf, the guide of the Romanian journalists kidnapped in Iraq. While under US custody, the latter is said to have claimed that Omar Hayssam was involved in gun trafficking from Syria as an under cover officer of the secret services in this state. Moreover, when questioned by the Superior Council of Magistracy, prosecutor Ciprian Nastasiu argued that such information was secret because in the case there were emerging clues of some Romanian personalities' involvement in the affair. But Mohammad Munaf denied it presently. Although there is no news about the progress made with the investigations on Omar Hayssam as gun trafficking suspect, it is certain that there emerged a different criminal case on international gun dealer Viktor Bout. (...) (R.M.)