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
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