Saturday, August 6, 2022 at 12:16 pm

David Mendes da Silva was arrested last Thursday by the Rotterdam police. That writes The Telegraph. According to sources surrounding the investigation, the forty-year-old former football player is suspected of a number of serious criminal offenses, including drug trafficking and money laundering. The police also suspect that Mendes da Silva was preparing an attempt to escape.

Mendes da Silva was arrested on Thursday at his birthday party, as the detectives thought the former footballer was aware of the investigation into his person and possibly wanted to flee abroad. The former midfielder is suspected of drug trafficking, money laundering and involvement in the rogue illegal gambling site Edobet. The Public Prosecution Service in Rotterdam wants to The Telegraph did not confirm that it was Mendes da Silva and did not comment further.

A major investigation was carried out by the criminal investigation department into large-scale cocaine trafficking in the Netherlands, in which thousands of kilos were smuggled into the country via the port of Rotterdam. Mendes da Silva’s name came up in that investigation. The seven-time international stood out to the police when he withdrew large amounts of money in recent weeks, presumably to prepare a flight abroad. On Monday, Mendes da Silva will be arraigned and if found guilty, he faces years in prison.

Mendes da Silva made his debut in Dutch professional football at Sparta and later also played for Ajax, NAC Breda, AZ, Red Bull Salzburg and Panathinaikos. In 2017 he ended his active career at Sparta, where it all started for the midfielder. Mendes da Silva became national champion with AZ and Salzburg and also took a Johan Cruijff Scale with the Alkmaarders. In addition, he came to seven international matches for the the Dutch squad under national coach Marco van Basten.