Security officer at Czech embassy in Moscow evacuated following accusations of smuggling

A security officer at the Czech embassy in Moscow, who was threatened with prosecution by the Russian authorities for smuggling psycho-pharmaceuticals was evicted from the country and has returned to Czechia, Czech Radio reported on Thursday. The officer was evicted from Russia after the Czech authorities refused to strip him of his diplomatic immunity.

The man was detained by the Russian authorities at Moscow airport earlier this year with an unusually large quantity of the psycho-pharmaceutical drug Leponex in his possession for which he lacked a prescription. During his interrogation, the officer said that he was carrying the drugs for the then chargé d'affaires Jiří Čistecký.

Czech Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariana Wernerová has confirmed that to be the case and said the drugs were being taken to Moscow to the then head of the embassy, with the ministry’s knowledge and approval.

Jiří Čistecký has, in the meantime, been appointed Czech ambassador to Germany.