A Russian court has sentenced a U.S. citizen to four years in prison after finding him guilty of attempting to take the stocks of Kalashnikov assault rifles out of the country, the state-owned RIA news agency reported on Tuesday.
The man, who was not publicly identified by the news agency, had purchased two Kalashnikov stocks the part of the rifle that rests against the shooter’s shoulder and attempted to check them in a suitcase at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport without declaring them to customs, RIA said. He is a collector of Kalashnikov weapons.
He was convicted under a section of the Russian criminal code that deals with weapons smuggling. RIA reported that the defendant partially admitted his guilt in the case. Reuters was unable to contact him while he remains in detention.
The incident highlights Russia’s strict enforcement of laws governing the export of weapons and related components, which can carry severe penalties for those who attempt to remove them from Russian territory without proper authorization.
The U.S. State Department currently advises against all travel to Russia, warning its citizens about risks that include terrorism, unrest and the potential for wrongful detention. In its travel advisory, the department says Russian security services have in some cases arrested U.S. citizens on questionable charges and denied fair treatment in custody a claim that Russian authorities reject, saying they are simply enforcing Russian law.
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