American WNBA star Brittney Griner detained in Russia on drug charge
Global News
Brittney Griner's friends and family are concerned for the basketball star's well-being after she was detained in Russia on drug charges.
Friends and family of WNBA star Brittney Griner are calling for the basketball star’s release after she was detained in Russia on a drug charge.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist, 31, is in Russian custody after customs officials said they found hashish oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow in February.
In a statement Saturday, the Russian Customs Service said the cartridges were identified as containing oil derived from cannabis. Possession of the drug derivative could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The customs service identified the person arrested as a player for the U.S. women’s team and did not specify the date of her arrest. Russian media reported the player was Griner, and her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, did not dispute those reports to The Associated Press.
“As a U.S. citizen was passing through the green channel at Sheremetyevo Airport upon arriving from New York, a working dog from the Sheremetyevo Customs canine department detected the possible presence of narcotic substances in the accompanying luggage,” the statement said, reports CNN.
“The customs inspection of the hand luggage being carried by the U.S. citizen confirmed the presence of vapes with specifically smelling liquid, and an expert determined that the liquid was cannabis oil (hash oil), which is a narcotic substance.”
Griner is a seven-time all-star player with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. She spends her off-season in Russia, playing for the team UMMC Ekaterinburg, reports NBC News.
According to the Texas Tribune, Griner has played for the Russian team since at least 2014.
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