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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 raids, primarily in the province of Antwerp and in areas surrounding Brussels, as part of the ongoing investigation.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed that Nainggolan was "deprived of his liberty in connection with this case," which centers on the alleged smuggling of cocaine through the port of Antwerp and its distribution within Belgium, as reported by ESPN.
Nainggolan, who had been without a club for several months, came out of retirement to join second-tier Belgian team Lokeren-Temse. He marked his return to action with a goal from a corner kick in his debut match last weekend.
Lokeren-Temse issued a statement saying they learned of his arrest through media reports.
The statement read:
The club respects the presumption of innocence and therefore cannot comment further. We can only confirm that the player was absent from training this morning. The club will remain focused on tomorrow's crucial league match against KAS Eupen. Radja Nainggolan will not be available for that match.
The 36-year-old has earned 30 caps for Belgium but has not played for his national team since March 2018.
Nainggolan spent the majority of his career in Italy, notably with Roma and Inter Milan. Throughout his career, he has faced multiple disciplinary issues. In 2018, while at Roma, he was fined and excluded from a match after posting a video on Instagram showing him appearing drunk and smoking at a New Year's Eve party.
In 2022, while playing for Royal Antwerp, he was suspended for smoking an electronic cigarette on the bench, with the club expressing concerns about how his behavior could impact the team.