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Russian lawyer of convicted US drug trafficker Fogel confirms his release

Previously, the White House announced that Russia had released Fogel

MOSCOW, February 11. /TASS/. Marc Fogel, a US citizen convicted in Russia for drug smuggling, has been released and handed over to the US side, his lawyer Dmitry Ovsyannikov said.

"Fogel has been released. He is now in aboard a plane, and will arrive in the United States in approximately five hours," Ovsyannikov said. "We don’t know reasons behind his release, whether it was a pardon or something else."

Previously, the White House announced that Russia had released Fogel.

Fogel, a lecturer at an Anglo-American School in Moscow, formerly worked at the US Embassy in Russia. Until May 2021, he and his wife enjoyed diplomatic status. He was detained upon arrival in Moscow from New York on August 14, 2021. At Sheremetyevo Airport, while going through the "green corridor," he was stopped by customs officers. The reaction of service dogs to his baggage was the reason. Marijuana and hash oil were found in the foreigner’s luggage. Investigators suspected that Fogel could have earlier used his diplomatic status to smuggle drugs into Russia for distribution among school students. Fogel was sentenced to 14 years in prison for drug smuggling.

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