Russian law enforcement officers arrested an Italian citizen at the border with Latvia after he tried to bring 170 grams (6 ounces) of hashish with him into the country, Russia’s customs service said Thursday.
Authorities said the 30-year-old Italian, who was not named, sought to enter the western Pskov region on his motorcycle.
“During an inspection of the vehicle and luggage, border security agents found a box with nuts and dried fruits in a toolbox, and inside it two briquettes with a green-brown plastic substance,” Russia’s customs service said in a statement.
Following a test, that substance was revealed to be hashish, a compressed form of powered marijuana. Authorities estimated the black market value of the drugs at around 500,000 rubles ($5,030).
Border agents from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested the man and pressed drug trafficking charges against him. He faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of those charges.
Russian authorities often report arrests of foreign citizens for trying to smuggle drugs and other contraband into the country.
In February, border agents at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport arrested a German man after he brought gummy bear edibles on a flight to Russia.
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