The Russian Interior Ministry accused the ex-employee of the US Embassy in Moscow Fogel of drug smuggling
Photo: Alexey Sukhorukov / RIA Novosti
Interior Ministry investigators have opened a criminal case on large-scale drug smuggling and possession against a former employee of the US Embassy in Moscow, Mark Vogel. This is reported by TASS with reference to the press service of the transport department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Central Federal District.
The American is charged with violations provided for in part 3 of Article 229.1 and part 2 of Article 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. “Since the suspect could have escaped from the investigation on the territory of the embassy, the Khimki City Court chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for him,” the press service noted.
The police also indicated that after the case was initiated, a search was conducted at the suspect’s place of residence. “It was established that his wife, who was released home, managed to get rid of the evidence in the apartment before the arrival of the investigative task force,” the Interior Ministry said.
According to the data from the surveillance camera, the wife of the detainee, “observing precautionary measures,” took out a package from the house, threw it into a trash can, and later took it and took it outside the residential complex.
On December 7 last year, the Russian Embassy in the United States confirmed information about the arrest of an American citizen in Moscow. However, the diplomatic mission refused to comment on this case “for reasons of confidentiality.”
According to TASS, Mark Vogel and his wife were detained at Sheremetyevo Airport in August 2021. The reason was the reaction to his luggage of service dogs who are trained to detect prohibited substances. The American’s luggage contained marijuana and hashish oil, packaged in contact lens packages and cartridges for electronic cigarettes. “All this was wrapped in polyethylene and hidden in sneakers,” the agency reports.
According to the detainee himself, there were 17 grams of prohibited substances in his belongings, which he used for medical purposes as prescribed by a doctor. Vogel explained that he had undergone spinal surgery and was prescribed a drug to alleviate the consequences of surgery. The American indicated that he did not know about the ban on medical marijuana in Russia.
