Dutch football champion sentenced to seven years in prison

Dutch champion with FC Twente, Ronnie Stam, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for drug trafficking and money laundering.

According to Report, citing NU, the court in Breda found the former professional athlete guilty, including of cocaine trafficking.

Stam was arrested in June 2024 and has been in custody ever since. The 41-year-old player and his 43-year-old brother, Rudy, came to police attention through decrypted communications between criminals in a hacked messenger app.

The court determined that Ronnie Stam was involved in importing about 700 kg of cocaine from Chile and played a “decisive and coordinating role” in the operation. Investigators stated that the brothers were part of a global drug trafficking network.

Rudy Stam was sentenced in absentia to three and a half years in prison in this case. He is on the run and is believed to be in Dubai. Last year, he was already sentenced to 4.5 years for similar crimes.

In addition, the brothers were ordered to return €1.7 million in illicit profits to the state and pay a €30,000 fine.