Footballer Radja Nainggolan and 15 other suspects are to stand trial before a criminal court in a case involving the import of cocaine from South America. Nainggolan came to the attention of investigators due to several suspicious financial transactions involving Nasr-Eddine Sekkaki, the brother of the notorious ‘King of Escapes' Ashrak Sekkaki.
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Money laundering charges against footballer Radja Nainggolan after suspicious loan
Colin Clapson
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Two years ago, the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into a criminal organisation suspected of importing large quantities of drugs to the port of Antwerp from South American countries. The organisation is also alleged to have organised the unloading of containers at the port of Antwerp. The drugs, mainly cocaine, are said to have been trafficked onwards after that.
The former member of the Belgian national squad, the Red Devils, was arrested in January 2025 and charged with membership of a criminal organisation. The footballer has always denied any involvement in drug-related offences, a view shared by a judge. The footballer will still have to answer to the criminal court on money laundering charges but not on charges of drug offences or membership of a criminal gang.
Money of criminal origin
Radja Nainggolan has been referred to court for ‘concealing the nature, origin, location, disposal, movement or ownership of criminal assets’. Along with the footballer, 18 other suspects were also referred to court.
These include Nasr-Eddine Sekkaki, the brother of top gangster and ‘King of Escapes’ Ashraf Sekkaki. It is alleged that suspicious financial transactions between Sekkaki and Nainggolan drew the investigators’ attention to the footballer.
Nainggolan is alleged to have received substantial sums of money from Nasr-Eddine Sekkaki, which he is said to have subsequently repaid. However, according to the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office, the money received by the footballer was of criminal origin. Nainggolan himself was never involved in the import or distribution of the cocaine smuggled to Europe from South America .
Hidden compartments in a vehicle
In addition to Nainggolan, 15 other suspects will have to appear before the criminal court. Two of them are on trial for the same offence as the former Red Devil, but the defendants will also have to answer, amongst other things, for the import, export and transport of substances without a licence, with aggravating circumstances, membership of a criminal organisation and possession of a vehicle with a hidden compartment. Three of the referred suspects will stand trial as leaders of the criminal organisation.
Three other suspects will not have to face trial.