An American basketball player for the U.S. and Russia has been arrested in Russia on alleged drug charges.
The Russian Customs Service arrested American WNBA star Brittney Griner at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport as she was returning to Russia from New York.
According to The Dallas Morning News, a search of her luggage allegedly revealed vape cartridges that Russian authorities claimed contained oil derived from cannabis.
The date of Griner’s arrest remains unclear.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Griner was scheduled to play for Moscow team UMMC Ekaterinburg on February 20, and that a flight she may have been on arrived at the airport on February 17.
Griner, who also plays for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, is among several WNBA players plying their trade in Ukraine and Russia. According to the DMN, Griner has played in Russia for the last seven winters, enabling her to earn more than $1 million per season.
The last game she played with her Russian team was on January 29, just before the league took a two-week break.
During her career, the 31-year-old has won a WNBA championship with the Mercury, a national championship at Baylor, and two Olympic gold medals with the U.S.
“We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA,” said Griner’s agent Kagawa Colas.
Colas revealed that Griner’s arrest is still an ongoing legal matter, and as such, he can not comment further on the specifics.
“Her mental and physical health remain our primary concern,” Colas added.
According to The Daily Mail, Griner’s family is receiving advice from the family of Trevor Reed, who is currently serving a nine-year sentence in a Russian prison after being accused of assaulting two police officers during a trip to Russia to visit his girlfriend.
Griner is now facing the possibility of 10 years in prison.