Former All Blacks lock Ali Williams was reportedly arrested for allegedly attempting to buy cocaine in central Paris.

Former All Blacks lock Ali Williams was allegedly spotted in a car with drug dealers before his arrest in Paris on Saturday (NZ Time).

French news website La Depeche reported a police source said Williams was seen in a car with two drug dealers, while former Australian rep James O'Connor was said to be "watching".

When checked by plainclothes policemen, Williams tried to get rid of the drug while one of the two dealers questioned admitted selling cocaine for 180 euros, La Depeche claimed.

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Williams was suspended by his French Racing 92 club after he and O'Connor were arrested for allegedly attempting to buy cocaine in the small hours of Saturday morning in Paris.

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Williams, who is a player and special adviser for Racing 92 in Paris, and O'Connor, who plays for glamour club Toulon in the south of France, had been partying in central Paris during a one-week break for the Top 14 competition.

JEAN CATUFFE/GETTY IMAGES Former Ali Williams (left) and Dan Carter are both in hot water, with Williams arrested for attempting to buy cocaine and Carter facing a drink-driving charge.

The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed a report by La Chaine Info (LCI) - The News Channel in English - that the arrest took place in front of a famous nightclub located at Place de l'Etoile, also known as Place Charles de Gaulle, close to the Champs-Elysees and Arc de Triomphe, just after 3am on Saturday (3pm Saturday NZT).

The pair were taken into custody by plainclothes policemen after being spotted by BAC (Anti-Crime Brigade) officers in a car allegedly paying two suspected drug dealers €200 (NZ$293) in exchange for cocaine, LCI reported.

According to News Corp, a barman who works at a club across the road from Arc de Triomphe said he saw the arrests, but did not realise who the men were.

DAN MULLAN/GETTY IMAGES Former Wallabies back James O'Connor also arrested, alongside Ali Williams, after allegedly attempting to buy cocaine.

"It happened maybe around 3am," the man told News Corp. "I was cleaning the chairs out here and I saw the police go and talk to these two guys. "There was one blond guy (O'Connor) and a tall guy (Williams). They went to a car. "The tall guy went into the car, then he came back to his friend." The witness said the two men walked towards the doorway of Arc de Triomphe on the Place de l'Etoile, but police moved in before they could get inside. "They tried to go back to the club but the police caught them and handcuffed them," the man told News Corp. "They pulled them aside from the crowd and right after they put the handcuffs on them they put them in the car and took them away."

Williams and O'Connor will be held in police custody for up to 24 hours.

Under French law they must be released after that point, unless there are specific circumstances which would justify an additional 24 hours.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed that Williams has not contacted the New Zealand Embassy for consular assistance.



"The ministry is aware of reports on the arrest of Ali Williams in Paris, " a MFAT spokesperson said.

Rob Nichol, chief executive of the New Zealand Rugby Players' Association, said he did not want to comment on Williams' situation until he had spoken to the player and had all the relevant facts.

Williams' former All Blacks coach Graham Henry also declined to comment.

Drug use is illegal in France and carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a €3750 fine.

Users may also be ordered to attend an awareness programme about the dangers of drug use, or to undergo court-ordered therapy.



At the time of arrest, Williams allegedly attempted to throw three packets of cocaine on the ground, which were immediately picked up by investigators.

Described as intoxicated and unable to produce identification, the pair would be notified of their rights by police once they left the sobering cell, LCI reported. The two suspected drug dealers were also arrested.

Racing 92 said in a statement that Williams has been suspended as a precautionary measure and the club also apologised to fans for the incident.

"If the investigation confirms (Williams') possession of cocaine and the transaction, it would not only be a crime under the law but also a serious mistake in view of our ethics," said the club, while adding that Williams deserved the presumption of innocence.

The arrests come only days after another former All Black, Dan Carter, was forced to apologise for "a massive error of judgment" after he allegedly failed a drink-driving test in France. Carter also plays for Racing 92, the defending French champions.

Williams, 35, retired from rugby after the 2014-15 season but has returned to action this season, having playing 77 matches for the All Blacks between 2002 and 2012, and a member of the 2011 Rugby World Cup-winning side in 2011.

He also played 117 Super Rugby matches, including 102 for the Blues, and 35 NPC matches for Auckland. He played two seasons for Toulon from 2013 to 2015, where O'Connor was a teammate, winning European championships in 2014 and 2015 and the Top 14 championship in 2014.

O'Connor, 26, has played 44 times for the Wallabies since 2008, has played 71 matches in Super Rugby for the Western Force, Melbourne Rebels and Queensland Reds from 2008 to 2015. He moved to London Irish in 2013 for one season after falling out of favour in Australia for off-field behaviour, playing 15 matches and is in his second season with Toulon, having played 44 matches.

Toulon defeated Lyon 31-17 in their latest match on February 18, with O'Connor coming off the bench, while a Dan Carter-less Racing 92 beat Brive 33-25. Toulon next play at Brive and Racing 92 travel to Grenoble on March 4. Toulon sit fifth in the Top 14, while defending champions Racing sit one point out of the top-six playoffs.