Britney Griner, an American basketball player, has been detained in Russia after authorities at an airport near Moscow reportedly found hash oil e-cigarette cartridges among her belongings.
WNBA star Phoenix Mercury is currently under investigation for drug trafficking charges, Russia’s Federal Customs Service said in a statement on Saturday. This offense can lead to 10 years in prison. Russian media indicated that Griner was arrested in February, although the reports did not give an exact date. Griner has not posted on her Instagram account since February 5.
According to the Customs Service, Griner was arriving at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport on a flight from New York City when a police dog alerted officials to her luggage. The published video shows Griner’s bags being checked. Then her belongings were subjected to X-rays, where they allegedly found e-cigarette cartridges containing narcotic cannabis oil. Griner has been in Russian police custody since his arrest.
In addition to playing for the Phoenix Mercury in the United States, Griner also plays in the Russian women’s basketball league, playing for the Yekaterinburg UMMC since 2015. Their season is currently underway and it looks like Griner last played for the team in January.
Griner’s arrest and detention came amid a sharp deterioration in Russia’s relations with Western countries due to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The country has a history of arrests and sentencing of Americans on trumped-up or heightened charges, according to The New York Times.
“Of course, I don’t know the circumstances of her detention, but Griner’s arrest should serve as a wake-up call to all Americans in Russia,” Michael A. McFaul, a former US ambassador to Moscow, told the agency. “Get out. Close your business immediately.”
Griner’s current partner Cherell Watson Griner has yet to make any statement about Griner’s arrest, nor have her immediate family members.
Her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Kolas, said members of the Griner family were informed of her detention, adding: “Because this is an ongoing legal case, we cannot comment on the details of her case, but we can confirm as we work on it.” to bring her home, her mental and physical health remains our primary concern.”
The Phoenix Mercury said in a statement that it is “closely monitoring the situation” with Griner and is “in constant contact with her family, her agency, the WNBA and the NBA.”
“We love and support Britney and our primary concern at this time is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home,” the team added. The WNBA issued a similar statement, saying its top priority is getting her home safe and sound as soon as possible.