Russian customs says it has detained an American female basketball player after finding vape cartridges that contained hash oil in her luggage.
The player has been identified as Brittney Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star center for the Phoenix Mercury and two-time Olympic gold medalist.
The Customs Service released 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.
The screening at the airport occurred in February, according to the Customs Service, raising the possibility that Griner has been in custody for at least several days.
Griner’s agent has been aware of her detention, which means the U.S. government knows about it too.
In a statement, Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, said: “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 W.N.B.A. and N.B.A.
“As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern.”
The W.N.B.A. said in a statement that Griner “has the W.N.B.A.’s full support and our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States.”
While this is probably not a major drug case, you can smuggle a lot of hash oil in a few vape cartridges. I hope she thinks it was worth the risk.
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