Justice: ‘Former professional footballer Ronnie S. was a major player in the drug world’

From winning the Eredivisie to being a suspect in a serious drug case. Yes, Ronnie S.’s life has looked better…

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On June 10, four arrests were made in a drug investigation. It was soon said that it was a former professional footballer, his girlfriend and both his parents. The former player in question: Ronnie S. (40).

S. started his football career at NAC, then became champion with FC Twente and then played for Wigan Athletic and Standard Liege. The last years of his career he was back in the service of his old childhood love NAC.

Drug trafficking and money laundering

But according to the judiciary, Ronnie S. strayed in the years after his sports career towards the wrong path. Through hacked chat messages from Sky ECC, a service that many criminals use to contact each other, S. came into the picture of the investigative services. He was allegedly involved in the import of large quantities of cocaine, among other things.

In June, the police raided six homes and a camper. Homes, cars, bank accounts, jewelry and a yacht were seized. Ronnie and his family members were arrested. The former footballer is still in custody. Other family members – according to Brabant media, these are his parents, girlfriend and Ronnie’s older brother Rudi (42) – are at large.

Brother Rudi was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison in March in another drug case, but fled. According to the Public Prosecution Service, he is currently hiding in Dubai. The Public Prosecution Service fears that Ronnie S. is also fleeing that way. In fact, according to the Public Prosecution Service, he was already there in April. At that time, he is said to have said in a wiretapped conversation that brother Rudi had already bought him a Dubai home. According to Ronnie’s lawyer, that story is not true.

‘Big player’

But house in Dubai or not, for the time being Ronnie S. seems to be staying in the Netherlands anyway. Today at the court in Breda was the first hearing of the drugs case against the former footballer. There the justice described S. as a ‘major player in the drugs world’. He is suspected of seven criminal offences, including complicity in the import of several large quantities of cocaine – 893 kilos, 700 kilos, 20 kilos – and the laundering of hundreds of thousands of euros.

Crime

• AD, Broadcasting Brabant

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