Saturday, March 02, 2024 – Dutch footballer, Quincy Promes is reportedly being held by police in Dubai following a training camp with Spartak Moscow just weeks after he was sentenced for drug smuggling.
The former Ajax star was stopped at border control and was
not allowed to travel with his teammates back to Russia.
Last month, Promes was sentenced to six years in prison for
his involvement in smuggling over 1,350 kilos of cocaine in January 2020.
Back in June last year, the Dutchman was sentenced to 18
months in prison for stabbing his cousin.
The Netherlands' Public Prosecution Service was not aware of
Promes' detention when it initially happened, according to De Telegraaf.
As per Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, it is suspected in
Russia that Promes being held by Dubai police is connected to his criminal
conviction.
However, this is unconfirmed. Promes was charged last May
over his alleged involvement in smuggling the cocaine, which was intercepted in
Antwerp in January 2020 in the form of two batches of 650kg and 713kg each.
The Public Prosecution Service officially found Promes and a
32-year-old co-suspect, guilty of importing, exporting, transporting, and
possessing the drugs.
It is alleged the cocaine was hidden in a shipment of sea
salt from Brazil, where the drugs were transported in two containers to
Antwerp.
According to NOS, the former Ajax winger failed
to turn up for the trial and, thus, never made a statement about the offences
charged against him.
Further reports suggested that the former Netherlands
international feels 'he's untouchable' - given the fact he avoided attending
the court dates.
According to the NL Times, prosecutors said: 'He
seems to think he is untouchable in Russia or abroad'.
It's also reported that prosecutors wanted to know 'how such
a successful footballer allowed himself to be drawn so deeply into crime.'
Dutch officials had initially sought out a nine-year prison
sentence for the Spartak Moscow forward when the case was brought forward last
month.
When demanding the nine-year sentence, prosecutors alleged
that Promes 'normalises and almost romanticises the cocaine trade'.
Prosecutors claim Promes' wealth meant he had money to
invest and was one step higher on the organisational ladder as a result.
The 31-year-old forward, who plays for Russian club Spartak
Moscow, was arrested in December 2020 regarding the incident which happened in
July of that year.
The court in the Netherlands found charges of assault
against Promes proven but found there was no attempted murder or manslaughter,
according to ESPN.
The stabbing, to the leg, occurred at a family party at a
warehouse in Abcoude after Promes got into an argument over a stolen necklace.
He was playing in the Netherlands for Ajax at the time but
moved to Spartak in February 2021.
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