Breaking: Ex-Dutch int’l, Promes gets six years for coke smuggling: A Dutch court sentenced former Ajax and international winger Quincy Promes to six years in prison on Wednesday after convicting him of transporting over 1,000 kilogrammes of cocaine.
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According to an AFP spokesperson, the 32-year-old, who currently plays for Spartak Moscow, was not present in court to hear the sentencing. Previous attempts to extradite him from Moscow failed.
In conclusion, presiding judge M. Vaandrager stated that Promes’ football talent served as an example to many, particularly young people.
“The suspect is regularly in the news, is active on social media, and has fans worldwide,” the judge said.
“This makes it even worse that he has tried to increase his wealth… by participating in major international drugs trafficking.”
“All things considered, the court finds a six-year prison sentence appropriate,” it said in a statement.
According to the court, Promes and an accomplice smuggled 1,363 kilogrammes of cocaine into the Netherlands in 2020 through the Belgian port of Antwerp.
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The decision was supported by encrypted texts that Promes sent using the alias “Fantasma” and wiretapped talks.
The court determined that the prosecution’s request for a nine-year prison sentence was based on earlier instances in which the punishment was deemed to be excessively severe.
Promes’s attorneys had pleaded not guilty.
Promes had already been found guilty of stabbing his cousin over a stolen necklace in a different case, receiving an 18-month prison sentence and an order to pay damages.
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Promes was a member of the Netherlands team that lost to the Czech Republic in the Last 16 of the Euro 2020 championships, which was contested in 2021 due to Covid, despite earning 50 caps and scoring seven goals for the team.
Since then, he has not donned the orange jersey.
Quincy left Spanish La Liga team Sevilla in 2019 to sign a 15 million euro transfer to Dutch powerhouse Ajax in Amsterdam.
He moved to Moscow in 2021 from the Dutch capital, where he has been a player for Spartak ever since. From 2014 to 2018, he was Russia’s footballer of the year.
