Olympic star Tom Craig breaks his silence after being caught buying cocaine in Paris. New photo shows the moment Australian was arrested by French police.
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
A photo shows the moment the Olympian was arrested by French police
Tom Craig (pictured) was arrested in Paris on Wednesday night for buying cocaine
“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.
Residents of Rue Douai, in the Pigalle district of the French capital, told on Wednesday how dealers often gather in front of their homes to sell drugs to passers-by.
One of them said, “There’s always a lot to do outside our building.
‘The police regularly patrol our street, but usually the dealers just disappear.
‘Last night it seemed to have gone differently and they arrested someone.’
According to local residents, the dealers stand on the corner of the street, near where the rental bikes are parked, and offer all kinds of narcotics.
A street sweeper added: ‘The dealers hang out there, opposite the park. We don’t see them much because we work during the day and they only come out at night, but the people who live around here say they’re a nuisance.’
The infamous Pigalle district of Paris is the city’s historic red light district, made famous by artist Toulouse Lautrec and singer Edith Piaf.
Here you will find the internationally renowned burlesque club Moulin Rouge, which is surrounded by sex shops and massage parlors.
And it has become a popular nightlife spot for tourists looking for bars that stay open late into the night.
British gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson celebrated her 800m victory at the French bar Flair with family and friends, less than 100 metres from where Craig was arrested.
But it was also the scene of the horrific gang rape of a 25-year-old Australian tourist two weeks ago.
The woman was allegedly attacked by a group of men near the Place de Clichy, which leads directly onto the Rue de Douai, where Craig was arrested.
The Australian woman had spent Friday night drinking in the bars and clubs surrounding the Moulin Rouge before the men approached her.
She later told police that she was attacked and brutally raped by a group of five men at around 5am, before escaping and taking refuge in a nearby kebab shop.
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.
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.
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.
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.
