Russian man prosecuted for illegal marijuana planting, storage

Shedko Dmitrii (left) shows the place he plants marijuana to police. (Photo: laodong.vn)

Binh Thuan (VNA) – A Russian national has been charged with “illegally storing drugs” under Article 249 of the 2015 Penal Code (revised in 2017), Binh Thuan province's People’s Procuracy said on April 20.

On December 24, 2021, police in Phan Thiet city arrested Shedko Dmitrii (born in 1988, temporarily residing in Ham Tien ward of Phan Thiet) for storing a large amount of dried marijuana and planting 27 marijuana plants at a rented house in Ham Tien ward.

The police also seized tools for cultivating and harvesting marijuana.

Dmitrii confessed that he arrived in Vietnam as a tourist in November 2019 and rented a house in Ham Tien ward. From about August 2020, he bought seeds, equipment and tools via a social network to cultivate marijuana. He initially grew about 20 plants for personal use, but then planted 27 more before he was caught.

During the investigation, Dmitrii had access to an interpreter, the Russian consulate, and other rights in line with law, according to the procuracy./.

VNA