Russian authorities have detained an American citizen at Moscow's Vnukovo airport on suspicion of drug smuggling, Reuters reported, citing information from the Russian publication Mash on Telegram. According to the media, sources from the Russian security services confirmed the arrest, BTA reports.
The incident occurs just days after the release of American teacher Mark Fogle, who was detained in Russia in 2021 and sentenced to 14 years in prison for possession of 17 grams of medical marijuana. Fogle was exchanged for Russian citizen Alexander Vinnik, who pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in the United States.
The new arrestee has been identified as K. Byers. According to Reuters, he faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. Half a kilogram of marijuana was found in his luggage.
“For confidentiality reasons, we cannot comment on the case at this stage“, a spokesman for the US Embassy in Moscow told Reuters.
The agency recalls that US citizens are periodically detained in Russia due to strict local drug laws.
An example of this is the case of basketball player Brittney Griner, an Olympic champion with the US team, who was detained in February 2022 at a Moscow airport for e-cigarettes with cannabis oil. Despite having a medical prescription from the US, she was sentenced to nine years in prison and spent nearly 10 months in custody before being released as part of a prisoner exchange.