Former Russian national team player Alexey Bugayev convicted of attempted drug trafficking.
The Prikubansky District Court of Krasnodar found the former footballer guilty of committing a crime. According to the court verdict, in October 2023, Bugaev, having received an SMS message with the coordinates of the location of the “stash” of narcotics, took drugs with a total weight of 494.8 grams from the cache. The defendant purchased drugs for the purpose of further illegal sale, but was unable to do so, as he was detained by law enforcement officers.
In his testimony, Bugaev stated that he had no intention of distributing drugs, but wanted to help the police expose the people who had suggested doing so. However, after his testimony was read in court, the former footballer fully admitted his guilt and regretted his actions. Moreover, the guilt of the accused was established by the totality of the evidence examined in the case. When imposing the punishment, the court took into account the presence of a child, repentance and numerous awards for success in sports as mitigating circumstances.
Bugaev received a prison sentence of 9 years and 6 months to be served in a maximum security colony. The sentence has come into force.
