MOSCOW, December 8. /TASS/. The plane carrying Russian national Viktor Bout, who has been exchanged for US basketball player Brittney Griner, is set to land at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, a representative of law enforcement agencies told TASS on Thursday.

"The plane with Bout left Abu Dhabi about 30 minutes ago. He’s onboard a special flight and will arrive at Moscow’s Vnukovo-2 Airport," the person said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry reported about the exchange of Bout for Griner earlier.

Basketball player Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia for attempting to illegally import drugs through Sheremetyevo Airport.

Viktor Bout was detained in Thailand’s capital Bangkok in 2008 under a warrant issued by a local court at the US request. He was charged with illegal supplies of weapons to the rebel group called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the US. Bout was extradited to the United States two years later. In April 2012, he was sentenced to 25 years in jail.