Australian Olympic athlete arrested for allegedly buying drugs in Paris

An Olympic athlete was arrested on Tuesday after he allegedly tried to buy drugs in Paris.

According to a report from the Herald Sun, Australian men’s field hockey player Tom Craig was arrested for allegedly buying one gram of cocaine from a street dealer after Craig left a team function on Tuesday night. The dealer, who was allegedly in possession of 75 ecstasy pills and seven vials of cocaine, was also arrested.

The Australian Olympic Committee confirmed in a statement that a member of the men’s field hockey team was arrested and in custody as of Tuesday, though no official charges had been filed.

A Paris police spokesperson also issued a statement addressing the arrest.

“Police officers who witnessed a cocaine transaction at the foot of a building in the 9th arrondissement, on the night of August 6 to 7, arrested the seller, born in December 2006, and the buyer, born in September 1995 in Australia and who is said to be a member of the Australian field hockey team,” the statement read.

The Australian men’s field hockey team saw its run at the Summer Olympics come to an end on Sunday with a 2-0 loss to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. Team members were reportedly told that they had 48 hours to remain in the Olympic Village but could potentially remain in Paris longer, according to the Herald Sun.

Craig, who made his first Olympic appearance in 2016 in Rio, was part of an Australian team that won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The 28-year-old Craig is unlikely to face more than a fine, as French laws limit the potential punishment for those caught with small amounts of narcotics.