Earlier this week, Russia released US teacher Marc Fogel, who had been serving a 14-year sentence for possessing medically prescribed marijuana. Shortly after, a 28-year-old American traveler arriving from Istanbul was detained at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, as reported by Russian state news agencies TASS and Interfax.
The Federal Customs Service of Russia stated that a service dog alerted officials to one of the traveler’s suitcases during a routine customs check. Upon inspection, authorities found two plastic jars and a zip-lock bag containing candy infused with substances from the cannabinoid group, as confirmed by chemical analysis. Among the items seized were two jars of marmalade and gummy candies.
The detained man claimed the candies were prescribed by a US doctor and necessary for his travels, according to TASS. The US State Department has not yet commented on the incident.
This arrest comes just days after Russia exchanged Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency expert accused of Bitcoin fraud in the US, for Marc Fogel. Fogel had been imprisoned for carrying what his family and supporters described as “medically prescribed” marijuana.
