Former Dutch international David Mendes da Silva has been sentenced to seven years in prison after he was found guilty of drug trafficking.
A defensive midfielder who had long spells with Sparta Rotterdam and AZ Alkmaar, Mendes da Silva also represented Ajax, Red Bull Salzburg and Panathinaikos in a long career.
Capped seven times by the Netherlands, Mendes da Silva retired from professional football in 2017 and was arrested last year on his 40th birthday as part of an in-depth drug import investigation.
The former footballer was found guilty of importing two consignments of cocaine, weighing 74 and 105 kilos. He was also acquitted on one count of co-perpetrating in the import of a drugs package weighing 1,300 kilos, but was found guilty of preparing that import which was later seized by customs officers.
He was also found to have bribed a shipping clerk and to have sold drugs after their import into the Netherlands.
The Public Prosecution Service had recommended a 10-year prison term, but Mendes da Silva was sentenced to seven years at a hearing in his native Rotterdam on Friday.
According to NL Times, another court procedure is underway to confiscate the money allegedly earned by Mendes da Silva through these illegal activities.
