A Russian national has been charged with drug possession after being detained by Venezuelan police in April, a Russian Embassy spokesman said. "According to official documents provided by the Venezuelan side, Vladimir Kudryavtsev was detained by police on April 25, 2008 and put into the San Antonio detention center on the Margarita Island on April 29," the spokesman said late Thursday. He said Kudryavtsev, a former kite-surfing sportsman, had had his hotel room searched, where police found 995 grams of cocaine.
The spokesman said the Russian Embassy had submitted an additional request to the Venezuelan authorities asking for details of Kudryavtsev's detention and the investigation. In a phone conversation with a Russian diplomat, the detainee, who has been physically handicapped since sustaining an injury eight years ago, asked to be held under house arrest and to undergo a medical examination. Kudryavtsev's medical record was given by his lawyers to the Venezuelan Consulate in Moscow. Russian Ambassador Mikhail Orlovets passed the house arrest request to his Venezuelan counterpart.
According to unofficial information, Kudryavtsev was on a vacation with his girlfriend on a Venezuelan island, where he reportedly came into conflict with law enforcement officers for unspecified reasons. A hotel room search followed, during which Kudryavtsev says he had the drugs planted on him. Under Venezuelan laws, the judge is authorized to extend custody for a suspect in a drug possession case monthly up to two years.
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