Thaindian News

London, July 28 (ANI): A young Russian beautician has been arrested in Texas for trying to smuggle US weapons parts to Russia, it has emerged.

Anna Fermanova, 24, who lives near Dallas, was apprehended after attempting to take state-of-the-art night-vision scopes and other restricted items to Russia.

The items were confiscated when she attempted to board a flight to Moscow earlier this year. She was arrested when returning to America this month, reports the Telegraph.

The case is being compared to that of Anna Chapman, a suspected Russian spy who was arrested in New York and then returned to Russia under a “spy swap exchange” earlier this month.

There is no evidence that the two women knew one another.

It has been reported that Fermanova was arrested on July 15th for “knowingly and intentionally” attempting to export “defense articles on the United States Munitions list.”

The night-vision goggles and scopes cannot be exported without approval from the US State Department, as they are considered to be sophisticated military weapons.

Among the items she was caught with were a Raptor 4X Night Vision Weapons Sight, which she had bought online. A customs agent claimed that the sight’s ID numbers “had been covered with black marker pens”.

Fermanova is under house arrest and has had her passport confiscated. She is expected to attend court in New York later this month where she faces up to 10 years in prison.

Scott Palmer, the woman’s lawyer, said that the charges were “false allegations” and “too sensitive to be discussed.”

It was reported that Fermanova’s husband intended to resell the night-vision scopes to hunters. (ANI)