US Citizen Held at Russia Airport With Gun, $138K Check

The Russian customs agency said it detained a dual U.S.-Russian citizen at an airport in Moscow after she was found with a gun and a bank check for $138,000.

She was stopped at Moscow Vnukovo International Airport having arrived from the U.S. via Turkey, the agency said.

In her suitcase was an American Colt Combat Commander 45-caliber semi-automatic pistol with three empty clips, officials said, and during a personal search she took the bank check out from a concealed body bag.

The woman, who was not named, told the authorities she did not know that she needed to declare the items to customs because she is a dual citizen. She is a permanent resident in the U.S.

A criminal case was opened for the smuggling of firearms and money, and the woman is now held in pre-trial detention, Russian customs said.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.