Moscow police have detained two British citizens in central Moscow on suspicion of drug possession, the second such arrest in the past two months, the RBC news outlet reported.
In late March, police detained two foreigners in southern Moscow for possession of more than 40 grams of drugs including marijuana.
English teachers Damian Osborne and Ian Evans were arrested after attempting to discard two bags of unidentified powder upon spotting a police patrol near the Chistiye Prudy metro station Saturday evening, RBC quoted a Moscow Interior Ministry source as saying.
The press service of the National Guard in Moscow told RBC that a 36-year-old foreigner had been arrested in Moscow for drug possession.
“The man drew the attention of private security officers on Makarenko Street,” RBC quoted the National Guard as saying. “At the sight of a patrol car, the man abruptly turned aside and quickened his pace. He tried to discard the light-gray bundles from his jacket pocket.”
Investigators identified the discarded substance as mephedrone, an illegal narcotic also known as bath salts. A criminal case has been opened against the two suspects, who remain in detention.
Correction: In an earlier version of this article, the name of one of the arrested British nationals was given as Domian Osborne. His name is actually Damian Osborne.
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