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 northern Pigalle district of the French capital after police caught him buying drugs near a building in the 9th arrondissement.
After spending the night in custody, Craig was released Wednesday afternoon without any charges or fines.
He gave a brief statement before leaving in a vehicle provided by the Australian Olympic Committee.
“First of all, I want to apologize for what happened in the last 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 or the Australian Olympic Committee. I have caused you all embarrassment and for that I am truly sorry.”
The investigation into Craig was carried out by the Paris police narcotics squad.
In a statement, the Australian Olympic Committee said it “has confirmed that a member of the Australian hockey team was arrested in Paris on 6 August and has been detained”.
Tom Craig says he made ‘terrible mistake’ after being caught buying cocaine
Tom Craig (pictured) was arrested in Paris on Wednesday night for buying cocaine
Craig (pictured) is from Lane Cove in Sydney’s north and is in a relationship with Alice Arnott, a player on the Australian women’s hockey team.
“No charges have been filed,” the report said.
‘The AOC continues to investigate and arrange support for the team member.’
Craig appeared in a summary proceedings hearing on Wednesday evening (AEST), along with his lawyers.
Craig was reportedly arrested just 15 minutes after leaving an Australian team event.
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 conduct their investigation.
The anonymous seller was described as a 17-year-old who “acted like a dealer,” a source at the Public Prosecution Service said.
He is said to have had seven bottles of cocaine, 75 ecstasy pills and three grams of mephedrone with him.
Because the alleged dealer is legally a minor, his name cannot be mentioned.
As of late Wednesday morning (Paris time), Craig was still in custody.
His lawyer has not yet commented.
Craig has represented Australia in hockey since he was a boy and was part of the gold medal-winning team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The Kookaburras forward, who hails from Lane Cove in Sydney’s north, is the partner of Alice Arnott, a player on the Australian women’s hockey team, the Hockeyroos.
The couple posted photos of each other in Paris on social media.
The Kookaburras, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, were knocked out of the Olympics earlier this week after losing to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
The Hockeyroos were also knocked out in less than 24 hours by a surprising 3-2 quarter-final defeat against China.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Hockey Australia for comment.
According to local prosecutors, Craig (pictured) was spotted shortly after midnight “at the foot of a building in the 9th arrondissement.”
Under a French law introduced in 2020, people caught with less than five grams of cocaine could be fined on the spot a minimum of €150 (AUD$249).
The recently passed law still allows those convicted of serious drug use to spend up to a year behind bars.
The rule was introduced to ‘simplify the work of law enforcement officers’ and reduce the pressure on criminal courts.