According to media reports, Karob Wayne Byers has been identified as a US citizen detained in Russia on drug smuggling charges.
The 28-year-old was detained at Moscow's Vnukovo airport on February 7 after the K-9 detected something in his package with the Russian Federation Customs, Russian TASS news agency reported.
Reuters reported that Byers remained in custody for 30 days, citing a statement from the Moscow Municipal Court news agency. On Saturday, he released an image of him allegedly showing Buyers behind the bar when he appeared on the video link at a court hearing.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital on Saturday.
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Karob Wayne Byers, a US citizen detained on suspicion of drug smuggling, will appear on the court screen during a video link to a court hearing in Moscow, Russia on February 15th. (Moscow Municipal Court Press/Reuters)
Byers is said to have carried cannabis gummies during his custody.
He has been charged with smuggling drugs into the country and could be held in prison for up to 10 years, Tas reported.
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The Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik on the left was traded for American Mark Vogel this week. (Getty Images via Nicolas Economou/Nurphoto/Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Chemical analysis revealed the presence of narcotic substances from the cannabinoid group,” Customs added that Tass said the man claimed that his doctor had prescribed gummies.
News of Byers' detention comes when Marc Fogel, a US citizen who was detained on drug charges in Russia four years ago, was released on Tuesday in exchange for Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik.
Released American school teacher Mark Vogel responds after returning to American soil this week. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarck)
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Pennsylvania history teacher Fogel was sentenced to 14 years in prison at a Russian airport for possession after being arrested in August 2021 at a Russian airport.
Brie Stimson of Fox News contributed to this report.
