Footballer Quincy Promes receives six year prison sentence for cocaine smuggling

Former Ajax and the Netherlands footballer Quincy Promes has been sentenced to six years in prison, as reported by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

The Spartak Moscow forward was being prosecuted for the alleged smuggling of more than 1350kg of cocaine, which was intercepted in the harbor of the Belgian city of Antwerp.

The Dutch player was accused of investing in the drug smuggling operation that netted a Surinamese-Dutch baron over $6 million, a court had been told.

Promes was accused of being in charge of arranging for runners to take blocks of cocaine off a ship to a shisha lounge in Antwerp.

The police intercepted calls and text messages that showed the Spartak Moscow player was involved in transporting the drugs, which were hidden on board a ship in January 2020.

According to dutchnews, Promes' shipment was part of a smuggling operation headed by Surinamese-Dutch gangland boss Siegfried 'Piet' Wortel.

The Dutch Justice Department stated that it believed Promes lost 400kg of cocaine to a rival gang and had to pay Wortel over $250,000 as compensation.

Promes did not appear in court during the trial, choosing to stay in Russia, where his current team Spartak Moscow plays.

His drug smuggling involvements are not his first run-in with the law, being charged with attempted murder and assault in November 2021 after stabbing a family member.

Promes was accused of stabbing his cousin in the knee at a family party in July 2020, in an argument over a stolen necklace. According to the BBC, the relative suffered a serious knee injury and filed a complaint with the Dutch Police in November 2020.

Promes was sentenced to one-and-a-half years in prison, NOS reported, on June 19 after being found guilty of the stabbing, the charge being downgraded from attempted murder to assault. Promes is being forced to pay £6000 in damages to his cousin following the assault.

Given he is in Russia, it's unclear whether Promes will return to the Netherlands to serve his prison sentence. According to NOS, there is no extradition agreement between Russia and the Netherlands, and it can only be requested if Promes fails with any appeal.

However, because of the drug trafficking allegations, Promes would be arrested if he sets foot in Europe or any country with an extradition treaty with the Netherlands. Russian clubs are currently banned from playing in UEFA's competitions in Europe because of the conflict in Ukraine.

Promes returned to Spartak Moscow in 2021 after a successful previous spell with the club between 2014 and 2018, where he won the Russian Player of the Year in 2017.

Promes played 50 times for the Dutch National team, scoring seven goals, according to Transfermarkt. Since his criminal lifestyle has come to light, he has not been picked for national team games.

Once his successful first stint in Moscow had finished, Promes joined Spanish giants Sevilla in 2018, producing two goals and six assists in La Liga.

After a season in Spain, the Dutch winger joined European giants Ajax, winning the Eredivisie and Johan Cruyff Shield.

Despite the cases against him, Promes is having a good second spell in Moscow, where he has already won several trophies and produced more than 100 goals.