Spartak Moscow Footballer Convicted of Drug Trafficking Detained in UAE
Professional footballer Quincy Promes, who was recently convicted in the Netherlands for drug trafficking, has been arrested in Dubai. He was stopped at the border control before departure to Russia with his team, Nl Times reports.
Promes was apprehended before boarding the plane. The player was taken to one of Dubai's police stations, accompanied by security personnel from Moscow's Spartak. The reason for the Dutchman's arrest is not officially disclosed, but according to local press reports, it involves him leaving the scene of a traffic accident.
About two weeks ago, an Amsterdam court sentenced Promes to six years in prison for his involvement in smuggling 1350 kilograms of cocaine through the port of Antwerp.
The Netherlands do not have an extradition treaty with Russia, so Promes may evade imprisonment while he remains in that country. However, Dutch authorities have a limited extradition agreement with the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, where the footballer was arrested.
Following Promes' arrest, UAE law enforcement requested additional documents from the Netherlands to decide on his extradition. If the Dutch authorities do not provide the necessary documents within 48 hours, Quincy may fly to Moscow. Otherwise, he will have to face court in the UAE, which will determine his fate. Promes' managers have already sought assistance from lawyers.
In the past, Dubai has seen arrests upon the request of the Netherlands. Among them was the arrest of criminal authority Ridouan Taghi, who was sentenced to life imprisonment this week for leading a criminal organization and ordering numerous murders and assassination attempts. After his arrest in Dubai, the chief of the Dutch police highly praised the cooperation between Dutch and Dubai authorities.
Therefore, there is a high probability that Quincy Promes will indeed be extradited to the Netherlands and will begin serving his prison sentence.
It is worth noting that in the Netherlands, Quincy Promes was not only tried for drug smuggling. In 2020, the footballer was accused of causing bodily harm to his own cousin, who was injured with a knife in the knee during a domestic dispute.