Russian court jails Disney executive for 2.5 years on drugs charges: state media

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MOSCOW: A Russian court has sentenced Disney executive Jugal Daterao to two and a half years in prison on drug possession charges, according to state media reports.

The high-profile entertainment executive was detained at a Moscow airport earlier in 2026 after border authorities discovered narcotic-laced gummy candy inside his luggage during a routine security screening.

The defense argued that the substance was intended strictly for therapeutic purposes. During his trial, Daterao explicitly told the court that the medication had been legally prescribed to him by licensed doctors in the United States to help manage the severe, ongoing effects of a previous brain surgery.

Despite the medical documentation and testimony, the Russian judiciary strictly enforced its harsh anti-narcotics legislation, which does not recognize foreign medical cannabis or narcotic prescriptions.

The case marks yet another instance of a foreign national facing severe imprisonment in Russia over medical substances legally obtained in their home countries.