Former Belgian international Radja Nainggolan has been arrested on Monday for his alleged role in a cocaine smuggling operation from South America to Antwerp.
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The Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the federal police carried out thirty searches on Monday morning, mainly in the province of Antwerp and in and around Brussels, as part of the investigation, seizing 2.7 kilos (nearly 6 lbs) of cocaine along with cash and a large number of luxury items.
The 36-year-old was one of several suspects apprehended by Belgian police on Monday morning, and the Brussels public prosecutor’s office confirmed that the soccer player was “deprived of his liberty in connection with this case.
"The federal judicial police of Brussels carried out thirty house searches on Monday morning in the context of a case from the Organized Crime department of the Brussels public prosecutor's office. The searches mainly took place in the province of Antwerp and in Brussels," the statement read. "The investigation concerns suspected activities related to the importation of cocaine from South America to Europe via the port of Antwerp, as well as its distribution in Belgium. We can confirm that the footballer RN (Radja Nainggolan) has been taken into custody in connection with this case. Given that interrogations are ongoing, and in compliance with the principle of presumption of innocence, no further comment will be made at this stage."
Nainggolan, who has 30 senior caps for Belgium, came out of retirement last week to join a lower-tier Belgian side, adding a final spell to a long career, and scored on his debut for the club in a 1-1 draw with K. Lierse. Initially, he played for Italian teams like Piacenza, Cagliari, Inter Milan, and Roma.
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