Russia suspends US Olympic basketball champion for drug use

Russia said today it has arrested an American woman, a two-time Olympic basketball gold medalist, on drug charges, as tensions rise between Moscow and the West over Russia's military operations in Ukraine.

A statement from the Russian Federal Customs Service said that a search of the handbag of a US citizen that arrived on a flight from New York in February "confirmed the presence of electronic cigarettes and liquid with a specific smell."

An expert discovered that the liquid was cannabis oil, the drug said.

The statement did not specify the identity of the arrested woman, but said she is "a member of the American Basketball Association, holder of two Olympic gold medals with the US national team."

But the newspaper "New York Post" confirmed its identity, and said that it is related to basketball star Britney Greiner, and she plays with the American Phoenix Mercury team, and she is one of the most prominent players of the American team for years until today.

The detained woman faces a possible sentence of 5 to 10 years in prison, the customs authority added.

Many women basketball players in the NBA will spend the league hiatus while playing in European championships, including the Russian and Ukrainian.

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