Olympics star Tom Craig arrested after ‘being caught buying cocaine from Paris dealer’ following crushing defeat

AN AUSTRALIAN Olympic hockey star has been arrested in Paris for allegedly buying cocaine from a street dealer.

Tom Craig, 28, was arrested on Wednesday in possession of one gram of the party drug , according to public broadcaster FranceInfo.

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It came after the Australian men’s hockey team were booted out of the Olympics in a 2-0 quarter final loss to the Netherlands.

Craig was spotted “at the foot of a building in the 9th arrondissement” just after midnight, local cops said.

A witness told FranceInfo: “The police arrested two men, in the middle of a transaction.”

The Paris cops’ narcotic division are probing the incident.

A police spokesman said: “A 28-year-old man is in custody, along with another man.”

The unnamed seller was described as 17-year-old who was “behaving like a dealer”, said a prosecuting source.

He was carrying seven ‘vials’ of cocaine, 75 ecstasy tablets, and 3g of Mephedrone, a synthetic amphetamine.

The alleged dealer cannot be named because he is a minor.

By late morning on Wednesday, Craig was still in custody and facing charges. There was no initial comment from his legal counsel.

The Australian Olympic Committee confirmed one of its athletes was in custody.

A statement said: “The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has confirmed an Australian hockey team member is in custody after being arrested in Paris on August 6th.

“No charges have been laid. The AOC is continuing to make inquiries and arrange support for the Team member.”

According to News Corp Australia , Craig was caught just 15 minutes after he left a team function.

Craig is a veteran of national team the Kookaburras, with 101 appearances over a 10-year career.

Hailing from New South Wales, he featured in junior national teams before fast becoming a regular fixture in the senior lineup.

Craig was part of the team that won a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and the silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Australians had a mixed Olympic campaign, with wins over Argentina, Ireland and New Zealand but defeats at the hands of Belgium, India and the Netherlands.

Hockey Australia chief executive David Pryles had earlier on Wednesday praised the team’s culture.

He wrote on X: “Incredible group of athletes and staff we have.

“With the right people, culture and values, you can accomplish great things.

“There’s only upside from here.”

It’s not the first time an Olympian has been embroiled in controversy outside the Athletes’ Village.

At the Rio Games in 2016, American swimmers Ryan Lochte, Jimmy Feigen, Gunnar Bentz, and Jack Conger were accused of vandalising a gas station bathroom.

Security guards threatened the athletes with a gun, forcing them to pay for the alleged damage.

The swimmers made claims they were pulled over and robbed by gunmen posing as cops, but this was later found by authorities to be a cover story.

USA Swimming slapped them with various punishments.

AFP

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