The police revealed the details of the criminal case on smuggling and possession of drugs (part 3 of article 229.1 of the Criminal Code, part 2 of article 228 of the Criminal Code), initiated last year against ex-employee of the US Embassy in Moscow Mark Vogel. This was reported on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The investigation claims that the ex-embassy employee flew from New York to Sheremetyevo in the summer of 2021 with luggage in which «marijuana and hash oil» were found. The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs clarified that «marijuana was packaged in packaging from contact lenses, and cannabis oil was in cartridges for electronic cigarettes, all this was wrapped in polyethylene and hidden in sneakers.»
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“According to one of the versions of the investigation, the person involved could use it to organize a channel for the supply of drugs to Russia for the purpose of subsequent sale among students of the [Anglo-American] school,” the agency’s press service said. . Currently, the investigation is identifying «possible accomplices» of Vogel.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs added that Fogel was arrested by the Khimki city court, as «he could hide from the investigation on the territory of the embassy.» In December, members of the Moscow Public Monitoring Commission (ONC) found the ex-diplomat in SIZO-5. Fogel then told the members of the commission that he was arrested in August 2021 “for transporting 17 grams of marijuana.”
According to POC member Alexander Khurudzhi, Vogel insisted that the marijuana was medical – the drug was prescribed by a doctor in the United States to relieve consequences of surgical intervention, which is confirmed by an entry in the medical record. The American explained that he underwent spinal surgery, so he needed medicine, but he did not know about the ban on medical marijuana that exists in Russia.