Investigators of the Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Central Federal District continue to investigate the criminal case filed against US citizen Mark Vogel. The former American diplomat is accused of smuggling and possession of drugs on a large scale.
Mark Vogel and his wife arrived in Moscow on a flight from New York. At Sheremetyevo airport, while passing through the “green corridor”, a man was stopped by Sheremetyevo customs officers. The reason was the reaction of sniffer dogs, which are trained to detect illegal substances, to his luggage.
During customs control, marijuana and hashish oil were found in the foreigner’s luggage. The drugs were carefully disguised: marijuana was packaged in contact lens packaging, and cannabis oil was in cartridges for electronic cigarettes. All this is wrapped in plastic and hidden in sneakers.
A US citizen was detained and a criminal case was initiated against him on the grounds of a crime under Part 3 of Article 229.1 and Part 2 of Article 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Since the suspect could hide from the investigation on the territory of the embassy, the Khimki City Court chose a preventive measure in the form of detention.
After the initiation of a criminal case, urgent investigative actions were carried out, including a search of the detainee’s place of residence. It was established that his wife, who was sent home, managed to get rid of the evidence in the apartment before the investigative team arrived. Surveillance camera footage shows her carefully taking the package out of the house and throwing it in a trash can. She later picks it up, puts it in a bag and takes it outside the apartment complex.
Mark Vogel turned out to be a teacher at an Anglo-American school, and had previously been an employee of the US Embassy in Moscow. Until May 2021, like his wife, he had diplomatic status. According to one version of the investigation, the defendant could have used it to organize a channel for the supply of narcotic drugs to Russia for the purpose of subsequent sale among students of the specified school.
Employees of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Central Federal District are conducting investigative actions aimed at identifying possible accomplices and all episodes of illegal activities of a US citizen.
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