Story By: Gheorghi Caraseni, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
A Russian trial has been suspended after prosecutors who were using an alleged drug mule cat as evidence reportedly replaced the animal with another moggy when it ran away.
The stray cat was allegedly used as a drug courier for convicts of penal colony number 6, located in the city of Tula in western Russia’s Tula Oblast region.
Local media report that the can was based in the colony and a convict identified as Eduard Dolgintsev used it as a mule for drugs.
The cat was being kept in a special cage but reportedly escaped last winter. However, the escape only recently came to light after lawyer Dmitriy Sotnikov visited the animal corner.
But at a recent hearing prosecutors presented a cat as physical evidence. The defence lawyer, who has not been named, reportedly pointed out that the cat brought to the hearing had different colouring to the one allegedly used to smuggle drugs and the hearing was suspended.
The lawyer said: “The original cat had all white paws. We see here a cat that has its front left paw striped. The nose is also different – the original cat had a white nose, this one has a striped nose as well as the paws.”
Local media report the hearing was rescheduled for yesterday (Thursday) but it is unclear if it went ahead.
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