Russian court orders U.S. citizen suspected of drug smuggling held

By The Associated Press

MOSCOW – A Moscow court has ordered a U.S. citizen suspected of drug smuggling held in pretrial detention for 30 days, the Moscow courts press service said Saturday, days after a Moscow- Washington prisoner swap that the White House called a diplomatic thaw and a step toward ending the fighting in Ukraine.

The U.S. citizen, whom Saturday’s statement named as Kalob Wayne Byers, was detained after airport customs officials found cannabis- laced marmalade in his baggage.

Russian police said the 28-year-old American had attempted to smuggle a ”significant amount” of drugs into the country, the Interfax agency reported, citing Russia’s Federal Customs Service. The agency said the American was detained at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport

after flying in from Istanbul on Feb. 7.

Mash, a Russian Telegram channel with links to the security services, said the U.S. citizen faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. State Department.

Russian court orders U.S. citizen suspected of drug smuggling held

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