US basketball authorities on Saturday has announced that a famous American basketball player and two-time Olympic champion, Brittney Griner, is being held in Moscow on charges of narcotics.
The arrest came amid ongoing tensions between Moscow and the Western nations that have soared over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As per the statement, the Russian Federal Customs Service said that a check of hand luggage carried by a US citizen who landed on a flight from New York in February “proved the presence of ‘vapes’ & a liquid with a specific smell”.
It further added that an expert had later confirmed that the liquid was the narcotic cannabis oil (hash oil).
The statement did not mention any extra details about the woman but has stated that she was a “member of the United States National Basketball Association (NBA) as well as a two-time Olympic basketball champion in the US team.”
The customs service said the imprisoned woman faces a possible jail term of five to 10 years.
Meanwhile, US basketball authorities have made it clear that the woman was an all-star Griner.
As per the statement released by the sport’s governing body in the United States, USA basketball, stated on Twitter that it was “aware of and closely monitoring the legal situation facing Brittney Griner in Russia.”
It further added that, “Brittney has always handled herself with the highest professionalism during her long tenure with USA Basketball & her safety as well as well-being are our primary concerns.”
Griner, aged around 31, is a seven-time all-star center for the team of Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team has also released a statement that, “We love and support Brittney, and at this time, our primary concern is her safety, physical and mental health as well as her safe return to home.”