Ex-Premier League star could face 13 years in prison for £48m cocaine accusation
Ronnie Stam played for Wigan Athletic in the Premier League for three years and has now been accused of importing 2,217 kg of cocaine from South America to the Netherlands
Former Premier League star Ronnie Stam could face 13 years in prison after being accused of smuggling two tons of cocaine worth £48million.
Stam, who played for Wigan Athletic between 2010 and 2013, appeared in a Dutch court on Tuesday next to his brother Rudi amid allegations he imported the drug from South America to the Netherlands in 2020 and 2021.
The court in Breda heard that evidence of drug shipments were found in phone calls between Ronnie and Rudi, while pictures of cocaine blocks were reportedly spotted in their text messages.
Stam - who also featured for Dutch clubs NAC Breda, FC Twente and Belgian side Standard Liege - was arrested last June and has been in custody ever since.
The 40-year-old reportedly claimed he had been part of a 20kg shipment to Germany back in 2020, but denied any involvement in any more drug smuggling and has insisted the funds in his account had come from his footballing career.
The former defender could be forced to pay a fine of up to £1.5m on top of the lengthy jail sentence if he is found guilty.
Brother Rudi is facing the same fine plus a sentence of six years if he is found guilty of the crimes.
Last September, a court heard that Stam was accused of importing 2,217 kg of cocaine and found £85,000 in cash after raids on six properties and a camper van, according to the Daily Mail.
At the initial hearing, in which Stam was not present, a prosecutor said: "This case concerns hundreds of kilos of cocaine each time. I contend that Stam was a major player in the drugs world."
Police also raided a yacht, three cars and seized six luxury watches and jewellery as part of their investigation.
Stam's lawyers had asked for the former right-back to be released provisionally during the case but the judge declined amid fears he could flee to Dubai to join Rudi. The trial continues
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