US citizen detained in Moscow on drug smuggling charges

Robert Besser
18 Feb 2025, 15:16 GMT+10

A U.S. citizen has been detained at a Moscow airport on drug smuggling charges, according to a report by Russian Telegram channel Mash, which has links to the country’s security services
The individual, identified only as K. Byers, was reportedly stopped upon arrival at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport
Authorities allegedly found half a kilogram of marijuana in his luggage, Mash said. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison under Russia’s strict drug laws

MOSCOW, Russia: A U.S. citizen has been detained at a Moscow airport on drug smuggling charges, according to a report by Russian Telegram channel Mash, which has links to the country's security services.

The individual, identified only as K. Byers, was reportedly stopped upon arrival at Moscow's Vnukovo airport. Authorities allegedly found half a kilogram of marijuana in his luggage, Mash said. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison under Russia's strict drug laws.

The arrest comes just days after Russia freed Marc Fogel, a U.S. schoolteacher who had been serving a 14-year sentence for bringing marijuana into the country. Fogel was released as part of a prisoner swap, in which the U.S. handed over Russian citizen Alexander Vinnik, who had been jailed in the U.S. for money laundering.

When asked about the latest detention, a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow told Reuters: "Due to privacy restrictions, we have nothing to share at this point."

U.S. citizens have been detained in Russia multiple times under drug-related charges. In 2022, basketball star Brittney Griner was arrested for carrying hash oil into the country and sentenced to nine years in prison. She was later freed in a high-profile prisoner exchange that same year.

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