An Australian field hockey player has been arrested in Paris on suspicion of purchasing cocaine., Kookaburras striker, Tom Craig, 28, was reportedly arrested on Tuesday night during a police raid in the northern Pigalle district of Paris. According to FranceInfo, a reputable public broadcaster, Craig was arrested while in possession of around one gram of cocaine.
Local prosecutors reported that Craig was seen "at the base of a building in the ninth arrondissement" just after midnight. According to FranceInfo, the police arrested two men during a transaction. The Narcotics Brigade of the Paris police is handling the investigation and details about Craig and his involvement in the case is awaited.
Caught With Cocaine after Poor Show
In a statement, the Australian Olympic Committee confirmed that an Australian hockey team member is in custody following an arrest in Paris on August 6. "No charges have been laid," the statement from the Australian Olympic Committee read.
"The AOC is continuing to make inquiries and arrange support for the team member," it added.
Craig appeared at a summary hearing on Wednesday night (AEST) with his lawyers. It is anticipated that he will address the media after potentially receiving a fine and being released.
Craig is believed to have been arrested only 15 minutes after leaving an Australian team event.
The unnamed seller, described by a prosecuting source as a 17-year-old "acting like a dealer," was reportedly found with seven vials of cocaine, 75 ecstasy tablets, and three grams of Mephedrone. Due to the seller's status as a minor, their identity cannot be disclosed.
By late Wednesday morning Paris time, Craig remained in custody, and there was no immediate comment from his legal representatives.
Risky Business
Craig has been a part of the Australian hockey scene since his youth and was a member of the 2018 Commonwealth Games team that won a gold medal. The Kookaburras striker, from Lane Cove in Sydney's northern suburbs, is in a relationship with Alice Arnott, a player on Australia's women's field hockey team, the Hockeyroos.
The couple has shared photos of each other in Paris on social media.
The Kookaburras, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, were recently knocked out of the competition after a quarter-final defeat to the Netherlands. Similarly, the Hockeyroos were eliminated less than 24 hours later with a surprising 3-2 quarter-final loss to China.
According to a French law enacted in 2020, people caught with less than five grams of cocaine can face on-the-spot fines as low as $250.
The law, designed to "simplify the work of law enforcement" and alleviate pressure on criminal courts, still permits up to a year in prison for serious drug offenses.
