Cocaine was found in the car of Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church, who was detained in the Czech Republic
Czech police have officially confirmed that the white powder found in the car of Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church is cocaine. Law enforcement officials are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
After his detention, Ilarion was released; he is currently in Moscow.
During a search of the metropolitan’s car, three small bags containing white powder were discovered. Following this, an analysis was conducted to determine the substance in the bags.
“We can confirm that the analysis proved: the seized white powder is cocaine. We are talking about a few grams that we found in the car and seized,” said police spokeswoman Martina Richterová.
This was reported by the publication Deník N.
As a reminder, the Russian Orthodox Church transferred Metropolitan Hilarion to Brazil following a scandal in the Czech Republic.
The former influential figure of the Russian Orthodox Church called his detention in Karlovy Vary a planned provocation and categorically denied any involvement with the four containers of white powder that police discovered during a search of his car’s trunk. Hilarion published a video message in which he complained about the unsatisfactory conditions of detention at the Czech temporary detention center in Ungošť—specifically, the lack of hot meals, bedding, and personal hygiene items. The metropolitan’s defense team also highlighted significant procedural violations, pointing to the absence of witnesses and proper video documentation during the search of the vehicle by law enforcement officers.
Despite the fact that a Czech laboratory analysis later officially identified the seized white substance as a narcotic, on Tuesday, May 26, Ilarion and his videographer were released from custody without any formal criminal charges being filed. Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a diplomatic protest with Prague and summoned a Czech diplomat in Moscow, characterizing the actions of the Czech police as a premeditated political campaign aimed at “discrediting Orthodoxy.”
