Russia Says It Has American Basketball Player Brittney Griner In Police Custody
This Saturday, the Russian Federal Customs Service said that its officials had detained an American basketball player after allegedly finding vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow.
RELATED: TikTok Star Arrested By FBI After Shoes Connected Him To Multiple Armed Robberies
In a statement, the Customs Service noted that the basketball player they arrested won two Olympic gold medals with the United States, but did not release the player’s name. However, according to the New York Times, the Russian news agency TASS, citing a law enforcement source, identified the player as Brittney Griner, the seven-time W.N.B.A. All-Star center for the Phoenix Mercury. It was noted that the Customs Service has a video of a traveler at the airport who appeared to be Griner, wearing a mask and black sweatshirt, going through security. The video showed an individual removing a package from the traveler’s bag.
In a statement, the Mercury said: “We are aware of and are closely monitoring the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia. We remain in constant contact with her family, her representation, the W.N.B.A. and N.B.A. We love and support Brittney and at this time our main concern is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home.” It was reported that the basketball player was taken into custody while the investigation was ongoing.
Officials says a criminal case has been opened into the large-scale transportation of drugs, which can carry a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars in Russia. Griner has played in Russia during the offseason since 2015, where salaries are higher for WNBA players. Her reported arrest came several weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.