Moscow (AFP) – Russian customs agents arrested a Russian-American woman at a Moscow airport for trying to bring a gun into the country in her suitcase, officials said Friday. Russia’s Federal Customs Service said the woman, a dual citizen, was travelling from the United States via Turkey and was stopped at Moscow Vnukovo airport.
“Vnukovo customs officers stopped the illegal import of a pistol and a bank cheque worth $138,000,” it said on social media. The customs service said officers had stopped her during a random control check in the green lane of the customs corridor of the airport, used by passengers who do not have goods to declare.
“The suitcase was found to contain an American Colt Commander, .45 calibre with three empty magazines,” it said. The woman — who lives in the United States — had said she was “unaware of the need to declare the goods,” it added. Russia — which has strict gun laws — opened a criminal case against her for smuggling firearms.
Moscow has arrested several US citizens since launching its Ukraine offensive in 2022 — but the trend has slowed since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
© 2024 AFP
