An American citizen traveling in Russia was arrested this month after customs officials said they found cannabis-infused gummies and marmalade in his luggage, NewsNation reports.
The 28-year-old’s arrest was first reported by Russian state media outlet TASS, which said the man was traveling with a pack of infused gummies and two plastic jars containing additional cannabis products. He was arrested on February 7 by authorities at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, having arrived from Istanbul, the agency reported.
The revelation of his arrest comes in the week after the high-profile release of Marc Fogel, an American teacher and former U.S. diplomat who in 2022 was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison after customs officials found about 17 grams of cannabis in his luggage.
Russian media said authorities have initiated a drug smuggling criminal case against the yet-unnamed American traveler and if convicted, he faces fines of up to 1 million rubles (about $11,000) and up to ten years in prison.
“In all cases when a U.S. citizen is arrested abroad, the Department monitors the case closely and provides consular assistance. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.” — State Department spokesperson, via NewsNation
In 2022, WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner was arrested for cannabis possession while traveling in Russia. She was sentenced to nine years imprisonment and was incarcerated for over nine months before the U.S. government negotiated her release.
The U.S. government said both Griner and Fogel had been wrongfully detained.
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