Former Premier League footballer Ronnie Stam has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement in a multi-million-pound drug trafficking operation.
Stam, 41, who played for Wigan Athletic between 2010 and 2013, was convicted of smuggling 724 kilograms of cocaine into the Netherlands, as well as being involved in the trafficking of MDMA and possession of 18 litres of nitrous oxide. Prosecutors initially sought a 13-year sentence, but Stam was acquitted of two of the more serious charges.
The court in Breda also heard that Stam and his accomplices attempted to smuggle 20kg of drugs from South America and laundered approximately £2 million. Stam admitted to participating in a plan to smuggle 20kg of cocaine from Brazil to Frankfurt, saying his share of the profit would have been the value of one kilogram.
Expressing remorse, Stam claimed that was the full extent of his involvement and said he regretted associating with criminals.
In addition to his prison sentence, Stam has been ordered to repay £1.7 million in illegally acquired profits.
Stam retired from professional football in 2016. He made 73 appearances for Wigan and was part of the FC Twente side that won the Dutch Eredivisie under Steve McClaren.
