Olympic gold medalist and WNBA star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia
Openly gay WNBA star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia near an airport in Moscow. According to a report from the New York Times, the Phoenix Mercury player was taken into custody after authorities found hashish oil in her luggage.
On 5 March, the Russian Federal Customs Service released a statement detailing the incident. However, they didn’t explicitly identify Griner as the individual. “As a US 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,” customs officials said.
Alongside their statement, the authorities released a video that allegedly featured the player walking through security. Shortly after the report, the Russian news agency Tass cited a source from law enforcement that confirmed the identity of the 32-year-old.
The Customs Services have also opened up a criminal case against the two-time Olympic gold medalist. If she’s found guilty of “transporting drugs”, the beloved player could face up to 10 years in prison.
