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The airport in Saint Petersburg, a German was arrested here
Photo:
Marcus Brandt/dpa
A German citizen is in Russian custody. According to Russian information, the 38-year-old was caught at Saint Petersburg airport with gummy bears that are said to contain cannabinoids that are banned in Russia. After his arrest, he faces up to seven years in prison.
What we know
The known information comes from the authorities in Russia. Russian customs said they found packaging with a cannabis plant printed on the man. The package weighed 20 grams and the contents, six gummy bears, reportedly smelled pungent.
According to tests, it contains tetrahydrocannabinol, the main active ingredient in cannabis. According to the authorities, criminal proceedings have been initiated for drug smuggling, which carries a prison sentence of up to seven years in Russia.
The man is said to have flown from Hamburg via Istanbul to Saint Petersburg. According to authorities, he wanted to meet a woman he met online and travel through Russia. Beyond that, nothing is known about him.
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Gummy bears and German passport: Russian customs released this photo
Photo: Russian Federal Customs Service / REUTERS
Customs released a video that appears to come from a customs employee's body camera. »Wine gum! Like this. (…) It's a different kind, not Haribo," says a man wearing a baseball cap, T-shirt and arm tattoo in English when asked about the suspicious package.
The Russian authorities also said that the man explained that he had bought the gummy bears in a shop in Germany. He has traveled with the sweets several times and there have never been any problems with other customs authorities. He ate them to get a “restful sleep” on long flights.
What we don't know
The Foreign Office only said on Wednesday morning that the case was known to the Consulate General in Russia. Accordingly, the Russian authorities reported the arrest of the German citizen and they are also in contact with the accused's lawyer.
However, according to SPIEGEL information, Russia has so far denied German diplomats direct consular access to the detainee in custody. As a result, the office does not yet have any information about the background to the arrest.
It is unclear to what extent the arrest is related to the difficult diplomatic situation between the West and Russia. Although some things in this case seem imponderable, it is reminiscent of the arrest of US basketball player Brittney Griner in February 2022.
Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport two years ago and vape cartridges containing small amounts of cannabis oil were found in her hand luggage. A court sentenced her to nine years in prison for drug smuggling.
Western diplomats accuse Russia of imprisoning Western citizens in order to extort criminals imprisoned in the West in exchange for unrelated political benefits.
After Griner's arrest, there was speculation that the Kremlin could use the athlete, who is under contract in Russia, as a bargaining chip. And in fact, Griner was released at the end of 2022 in exchange for a Russian arms dealer imprisoned in the USA.
Since the start of the Ukrainian war, Russian spies have been repeatedly arrested in the West. On the other hand, Moscow caused the arrest of the Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich. In a conversation with right-wing US moderator Tucker Carlson, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin recently hinted at a prisoner exchange.
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