Former Dutch international David Mendes da Silva has been sentenced to seven years in prison after he was found guilty of drug trafficking.
He was handed the sentence after being found guilty of importing two batches of the drug weighing 74 and 105 kilos respectively.
It was gathered that Mendes da Silva who was arrested in August last year, reportedly bribed a port worker to tell him the location of the containers in which the drugs were hidden. He was reportedly paid €50,000 for this while the port worker received €100,000.
A judge who presided over the case said;
“This was done to arrange for the location of the container with drugs to be disclosed, allowing the cocaine to be removed from the containers. The suspect was supposed to receive 50,000 euros for this, and the corrupt employee would receive 100,000 euros.”
The Public Prosecution Service had recommended a 10-year prison term, but David Mendes da Silva was sentenced to seven years at a hearing in his native Rotterdam on Friday, July 28.
Mendes da Silva was acquitted on one count of co-perpetrating in the import of a cocaine package weighing 1,300 kilos.
Mendes da Silva, who played seven games for the Dutch national team from 2007 to 2009, started his professional career in 2000 and played for teams such as Sparta, Ajax, NAC Breda, AZ, Red Bull Salzburg, and Panathinaikos. He retired from professional football at the age of 34 in 2017. He was a versatile player capable of playing in the midfield and defence positions and was known for his dribbling and tackling skills.
According to NL Times, another court procedure is underway to confiscate the money allegedly earned by Mendes da Silva through these illegal activities.
