Radja Nainggolan will appear before the Brussels Criminal Court for money laundering. The Belgian footballer is linked to a large international drug trafficking case involving 15 other defendants.
It’s a familiar face in European football. According to the Brussels prosecutor’s office, Radja Nainggolan will appear before the criminal court in a major international drug trafficking case. Since last year, the former Belgian international has been suspected of borrowing €100,000 from a drug dealer, enabling him to launder his money. He will have to justify himself before the judge.
Following an investigation, the former Red Devils midfielder was arrested in late January 2025 with seventeen other suspects. Fifteen of them will stand trial with him. The investigation focuses on allegations of cocaine importation from Latin America to the port of Antwerp, Belgium.
“I do what I want with my money”
However, the player denies any direct involvement in drug trafficking. He admits receiving money, but claims it was a personal loan, unrelated to criminal activities. Last year, during the Bar Goens show broadcast on VTM in the Netherlands, Radja Nainggolan refused to explain why he borrowed money, stating, “It doesn’t matter, right? I do what I want with my money.”
Known for his temperament and outspokenness, Radja Nainggolan has often made headlines off the field. But this time, the case takes on a different dimension, with legal proceedings that could cost him dearly. For New Year’s 2018, the player made headlines in Italian sports media after livestreaming himself drunk and smoking. The former Belgian international, who has around thirty caps with the Red Devils, now faces several years in prison if convicted.
