India frees British arms dealer

Bleach emerged from jail to a huge scrum of reporters and onlookers

British arms dealer Peter Bleach has been released from an Indian prison where he was serving a life sentence.

The 52-year-old left jail in Calcutta flanked by two British High Commission officials and is now expected to be flown back to the United Kingdom.

He was arrested in 1995 with five Latvian air crew caught on an illegal arms drop.

Bleach was pardoned by the Indian president last Friday but his release was delayed for procedural reasons.

Peter Bleach is now a free man Paul Walsh British Deputy High Commmission, Calcutta Family first for free arms dealer

Jail officials in Calcutta said Bleach had refused food since Monday evening in protest at the delay in releasing him.

The BBC's Subir Bhaumik in Calcutta says the Yorkshireman, whose was reported to have suffered poor health in jail, looked well as he left Alipur prison.

He waved to journalists before being driven away in a five-car convoy with police escort.

The Foreign Office said Bleach was being looked after by British consular staff. It was not known when he would return to the UK, a spokeswoman said.

Pardon calls

The decision to release Bleach was announced last week by Indian Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, during a visit from UK Home Secretary David Blunkett.

The UK Government had requested a pardon for Bleach last year but it was rejected.

Bleach and the five Latvians were found guilty of charges involving parachuting crates of assault rifles, anti-tank missiles, rocket launchers and ammunition in the eastern Indian district of Purulia in West Bengal state.

The Latvians were freed after a presidential pardon in 2000.

Bleach claimed the British Government knew all about his activities, but this has been denied.

Our correspondent says it remains unclear who the weapons dropped in 1995 were meant for.