- The substance was transported through the port of Antwerp in Belgium in 2020, in two separate incidents.
- In their successful arguments, Dutch prosecutors faulted Promes for "normalising and almost romanticising the large-scale cocaine trade.
On February 14, Dutch footballer Quincy Promes was convicted of drug trafficking by an Amsterdam Court. He is however still playing, CNN has reported.
The conviction came against the backdrop of the Netherlands' wider war on drugs.
Before the verdict, the court heard that Promes was central to a trafficking operation in the smuggling of 1,360 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil to the Netherlands.
The substance was transported through the port of Antwerp in Belgium in 2020, in two separate incidents.
In their successful arguments, Dutch prosecutors faulted Promes for "normalising and almost romanticising the large-scale cocaine trade.
"The suspect profiles himself that way to the outside world, while he is an example for young people who look up to him," they said.
They added that the player was not directly involved in the smuggling.
"The suspect maintained a managerial role and was a financier. He worked calculatedly, was careful and did not take too many risks. He did not get his own hands dirty. He let others do the dirty work," the prosecutors added.
At the end of the court proceedings, Promes was convicted in absentia to six years in prison for the offence of drug trafficking.
CNN reported that this is the sentence he will not serve any time soon given he lives in Russia, plays for Russian Premier League side Spartak Moscow.
Lawyers for Promes said their client has maintained innocence, adding that they would be appealing the sentence.
"We will further explain our grievances to the Court of Appeal during a yet-to-be-scheduled public hearing," they said in a statement.
"Finally, we would like to emphasize that as long as the judge's verdict is not final, every suspect in the Netherlands must be presumed innocent. This also applies to Mr. Promes."
In 2023, Promes was convicted in absentia for stabbing his cousin in the knee and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
His contract with Spartak Moscow runs until the end of June 2024, according to Transfermarkt.