Cannabis gummy bears in the luggage
German arrested at Saint Petersburg airport
February 13, 2024, 7:52 p.m
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Half a dozen cannabis gummy bears are the downfall of a 38-year-old German. The Russian authorities arrest him in St. Petersburg. The case could now become sensitive for Berlin because Kremlin boss Putin recently called for the “Tiergarten murderer” to be released.
A 38-year-old German man was arrested at Saint Petersburg International Airport for possession of cannabis gummy bears. According to Russian customs authorities, a plastic bag with the inscription “Fink Green Goldbears” and a picture of a cannabis plant was discovered in the man’s luggage. The package contained six cannabis gummy bears with a total weight of around 20 grams. The authority published photos the “contraband”. Under Russia’s strict drug laws, the German faces up to seven years in prison.
According to the customs authorities, a rapid test confirmed the presence of the substance tetrahydrocannabinol. Since it is a narcotic, transport across the border is prohibited, it was said. The 38-year-old flew from Hamburg via Istanbul to St. Petersburg. According to authorities, he wanted to meet a woman he met online and travel through Russia.
“The passenger explained that he purchased 10 gummies containing marijuana at a specialty store in his home country late last year,” the agency said. Accordingly, he ate these on long flights “for a restful sleep.” He stated that he had never had any problems with other customs authorities before.
Putin wants the “Tiergarten murderer” back
In February 2022, US basketball player Brittney Griner, who also plays in Russia, was arrested at a Moscow airport after e-cigarette cartridges containing small amounts of cannabis oil were found in her luggage. Six months later, the then 32-year-old was sentenced to nine years in prison for drug smuggling.
At the end of 2022, after months of imprisonment, Griner was released in exchange for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was imprisoned in the United States. Bout is known internationally as the “Merchant of Death” and was sentenced to 25 years in prison in New York in 2011.
A few days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with the right-wing US journalist Tucker Carlson that he was open to the release of the American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in Moscow in March 2023. In return, he indicated his desire for the release of “Tiergarten murderer” Vadim Krasikov, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany. K. shot a Georgian in Berlin in 2019, presumably on behalf of the Kremlin.