According to Russian news sources, WNBA star and Olympian Britney Griner faces 5 to 10 years in prison in Russia after she was arrested on drug smuggling charges when e-cigarette cartridges were found in her hand luggage in Moscow. airport.
The Russian news agency Interfax reported that the American basketball player was arrested in February at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow after arriving on a flight from New York.
A drug-sniffing dog found drugs in the luggage, and X-rays of the bag revealed so-called “vapes” “by special order,” Interfax reports, citing the Russian Federal Customs Service.
“The expert found that the liquid is a narcotic drug based on cannabis oil (hashish oil),” Interax said in a statement.
An independent Russian news site identified the player as Griner.
Interfax reported that she was detained as a “preventive measure.” There was no indication that she had been released.
Griner has been absent from social media since February 5. Paul Beaty
A spokeswoman for her WNBA team, the Phoenix Mercury, cannot be reached immediately for comment. USA Basketball did not immediately respond to a request for information. Griner has not posted on her Instagram account since February 5.
Griner, 31, a member of the 2014 WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury and the 2016 Olympic gold-winning team, has played for Russia’s Ekaterinburg in the Euroleague during the WNBA off-season since 2015.