An Australian hockey player has broken his silence after being caught buying cocaine in Paris.
Kookaburras striker Tom Craig, 28, was arrested on Tuesday evening in the Pigalle area north of the French capital after police spotted him buying drugs near a building in the 9th arrondissement.
After spending the night in custody, Craig was released Wednesday afternoon without prosecution and without a fine.
He made a brief statement before leaving in a vehicle provided by the Australian Olympic Committee.
“First of all, I would like to apologize for what happened over the past 24 hours. I made a terrible mistake and I take full responsibility for my actions,” he said.
“My actions are my own and in no way reflect the values of my family, my teammates, my friends, my sport and the Australian Olympic Committee. I have brought shame on them all and for that I am truly sorry.”
The investigation into Craig was being carried out by the Paris police’s Narcotics Squad.
In a statement, the Australian Olympic Committee said it has “confirmed that a member of the Australian hockey team is in custody after being arrested in Paris on 6 August.”
Tom Craig says he ‘made a terrible mistake’ after being caught buying cocaine
Tom Craig (pictured) was arrested for buying cocaine in Paris on Wednesday night.
Craig (pictured) is from Lane Cove in Sydney’s north and is dating Alice Arnott, a player on the Australian women’s field hockey team.
“No charges have been filed,” he added.
‘The AOC is continuing to make inquiries and organize support for the team member.’
Craig faced a summary hearing on Wednesday night (AEST) alongside his lawyers.
Craig is understood to have been arrested just 15 minutes after leaving an Australian team function.
An image obtained by 7News shows the moment the 28-year-old was arrested.
He can be seen sitting on the sidewalk with his hands behind his back as officers conducted their investigation.
The unnamed seller was described as a 17-year-old who “behaved like a drug dealer,” a prosecutor’s source said.
He was allegedly carrying seven bottles of cocaine, 75 ecstasy pills and three grams of mephedrone.
Since the alleged trafficker is legally a minor, his name cannot be identified.
Craig was still in custody late Wednesday morning Paris time.
There was no initial comment from his legal counsel.
Craig has represented Australia in hockey since he was a child and was a member of the 2018 Commonwealth Games team, which won a gold medal.
The Kookaburras forward from Lane Cove in Sydney’s north is a teammate of Alice Arnott, a player on Australia’s women’s field hockey team, the Hockeyroos.
The couple have posted photos of each other in Paris on social media.
The Kookaburras, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, were eliminated from the Olympics with a quarter-final loss to the Netherlands earlier this week.
The Hockeyroos were also eliminated in less than 24 hours with a shock 3-2 quarter-final defeat to China.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Hockey Australia for comment.
Local prosecutors said Craig (pictured) was seen “at the foot of a building in the 9th Ward” shortly after midnight.
Under a French law introduced in 2020, people caught with less than five grams of cocaine can face immediate fines of up to 150 euros (A$249).
The newly adopted law still allows those convicted of serious drug charges to spend up to a year behind bars.
The rule was introduced to “simplify the work of law enforcement officers” and reduce pressure on criminal courts.