Former Belgium international, Radja Nainggolan, has been arrested as part of an investigation into cocaine trafficking from South America to Europe, according to the Brussels public prosecutor’s office.
On Monday morning, Brussels federal police conducted 30 searches, primarily in the province of Antwerp and the Brussels region, as part of the investigation.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed that Nainggolan was “deprived of his liberty in connection with this case.”
The investigation centers on the alleged smuggling of cocaine from South America through the port of Antwerp and its subsequent distribution in Belgium, officials revealed.
After months without a club, Nainggolan recently came out of retirement to join second-tier Belgian side Lokeren-Temse.
He made a notable debut last weekend, scoring directly from a corner kick.
In response to the news of his arrest, Lokeren-Temse issued a statement saying they learned about the incident through media reports.
“The club respects the presumption of innocence and therefore cannot comment further,” the statement read. “We can only confirm that the player was absent from training this morning. The club will continue to focus on tomorrow’s crucial league match against KAS Eupen. Radja Nainggolan is not eligible to play in that match anyway.”
Now 36, Nainggolan has 30 international caps but last represented Belgium in March 2018.
The central midfielder is best known for his career in Italy, where he played for clubs like Roma and Inter Milan.
However, his career has been marred by disciplinary controversies.
In 2018, Nainggolan was fined and excluded from Roma’s squad after posting an Instagram video on New Year’s Eve that showed him smoking and appearing intoxicated at a party.
Similarly, during his time with Royal Antwerp in 2022, he was suspended after being photographed with an electronic cigarette on the bench.
The club noted at the time that his behavior risked negatively impacting the team.
