MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - Russian border guards have detained a foreign citizen at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport while he was attempting to smuggle a batch of precious and semiprecious stones worth 6 million rubles, the Federal Security Service (FSB) public relations center said on Monday.
"Officials from the FSB border guard unit at Sheremetyevo International Airport have put a stop to an attempted illegal transfer of precious and semiprecious stones across the Russian Federation's state border," it said.
"Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds weighing in total 3,946 carats were found hidden in the luggage and personal belongings of a foreigner who arrived in Russia by air," it said.
"The estimated value of the confiscated contraband exceeds 6 million rubles," it said.
A criminal investigation into attempted smuggling has been opened against the foreigner, it said.