Sun: Old Premier League player Ronnie Stam is accused of drug smuggling and is tried with his brother

June 12, The Sun reported that former Premier League star Ronnie Stam faces 13 years in prison and is accused of smuggling two tons of cocaine.

If convicted, the 40-year-old former Wigan Athletic defender may also be fined up to £1.5 million, with the drug market value involved in the case reaching £48 million.

Stam played for Wigan for three seasons between 2010 and 2013, making 73 appearances. He participated in the team's 2013 FA Cup championship journey, but left the team to join Standard Liege before the final against Manchester City.

Ronnie Stam appeared in a Dutch court with his 43-year-old brother Rudy on Tuesday, when the Breda court heard that the two brothers had transported cocaine from South America to the Netherlands between 2020 and 2021. Prosecutors said evidence of drug transport was found in Ronnie's encrypted mobile chat history with Rudy. It was reported that the two people included photos of cocaine bricks in their messages. The prosecutor asked Stam to serve his sentence until 2038 and imposed a fine of 1.7 million euros. His brother Rudy faces more than six years in prison and an equivalent fine if convicted.

Stam admitted in court that he had participated in a batch of 20 kilograms of drugs transported to Germany in 2020, but denied being involved in other drug dealings. He also claimed that his bank account funds came from football career income.

Ronnie has been in custody awaiting trial since her first arrest last June, and the case is still under trial.