A professional footballer has been detained as part of an investigation into cocaine smuggling through the Port of Antwerp. Radja Nainggolan spent the lion’s share of his career playing in Italy for clubs such as AS Roma, Inter Milan and Cagliari. He also played 30 games for the Belgian national men’s team the Red Devils, scoring 6 goals for his country. Last week he played his first game for his new club Lokeren-Temse, scoring for the Belgian Second Division side in his match for the club.
Former international footballer Radja Nainggolan detained as part of investigation into cocaine smuggling
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Now Radja Nainggolan has hit the headlines again as he has been named as one of a number of people that have been detained as part of an ongoing investigation into cocaine smuggling through the port of Antwerp. The Brussels prosecutor’s office says that around 30 properties in the Brussels and Antwerp areas have been searched by the Federal Police.
The investigation concerns cocaine that has been smuggled from South America to the port of Antwerp and the distribution of the drugs throughout Belgium.
Among those detained on Monday morning was the footballer Radja Nainggolan. He is being questioned. Speaking at around noon on Monday, the prosecitor’s office said that "As questioning is still ongoing and taking into account the principle of innocent until proven guilty, we can make no further comment at this stage”.
Last week Radja Nainggolan stunned the world of football when it was announced that he had signed for the Belgian Second Division side Lokeren-Temse. After a spell at Royal Antwerp FC, the 36-year-old former international moved on to the Italian club SPAL and the Indonesian club Bhayangkara, where he had little if any success. He is expected at training on Monday afternoon. However, given the circumstances it is unlikely that he will attend.