Accused international arms dealer Richard Chichakli refused bail INTERNATIONAL fugitive Richard Chichakli, wanted in the US over charges linking him to Russian arms dealer and convicted war criminal Viktor Bout, has been denied bail in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court. Mr Chichakli, a Syrian-born US citizen, arrived in Australia in June 2010 on a false Syrian passport, using the name Jehad Almustafa. The 53-year-old was arrested last month after attempting to apply for a job as a Victorian Protective Services Officer, having already passed Victoria Police psychological and fitness tests, and applied for jobs with the Country Fire Authority and armed forces. Authorities linked his fingerprints to the interpol red alert that was issued after Chichakli fled the US in 2005 following a raid on his Texas home by the FBI and Treasury Department. He had been living in a rental property in Melbourne's north and working intermittently as a cleaner, having left and returned to Australia six times between his 2010 arrival and his 2013 arrest. The US is seeking to extradite Mr Chichakli to New York to face charges relating to his alleged conspiracy with Russian "merchant of death" Bout, to purchase planes to transport arms to international conflict zones. Bout, who is currently serving 25 years on US terror charges, was famously played by Nicholas Cage in the 2005 war film Lord of War. It is alleged the pair provided arms to former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor, who was last year sentenced to 50 years' jail for war crimes. Chichakli's lawyer Tim Marsh sought bail for his client on the basis that his prison conditions in the maximum security section of the Melbourne Remand Centre and the long period of time his extradition proceedings are expected to take, constituted special circumstances warranting his release. But Magistrate Duncan Reynolds refused bail on the grounds Chichakli's situation did not amount to exceptional circumstances. "I do not conclude that the applicant's conditions in custody are so extraordinarily harsh as to constitute special circumstances," he said. Magistrate Reynolds found Chichakli was likely to be motivated and had the capacity to leave Australia if granted bail. Mr Chichakli's de-facto partner, Yuliya Flyagina, sighed audibly as the bail verdict was read out. Dressed in a khaki polo shirt, Mr Chichakli remained expressionless for most of the proceedings, briefly mouthing words of endearment to Ms Flyagina before he was led away by four police officers. Magistrate Reynolds remanded him to appear in court on March 12, by which time US authorities are legally required to have applied for his extradition to New York.