Ex-Netherlands Player David Mendes da Silva Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison

Former Netherlands international David Mendes da Silva has been sentenced to seven years in prison after he was accused of drug trafficking. He has been found guilty of importing two consignments of cocaine weighing 74 and 105 kilos.

He was convicted of preparing the import in that case, with the delivery in question having been seized by custom officers. Mendes da Silva was found to have bribed a shipping clerk, allowing him to know the location of the container housing the shipment of cocaine

He received a payment of €50,000 for providing that information, with the employee in question getting €100,000. In addition to helping import drugs into the Netherlands, he has also been found guilty of selling them.

He was arrested on his 40th birthday in August 2022 as part of a wide-ranging drug import investigation.

During his time as a professional footballer, Mendes da Silva spent time with Sparta Rotterdam, Ajax, NAC Breda, AZ, Red Bull Salzburg and Panathinaikos and earned seven senior international caps for his country.