Former Dutch international footballer and once a target of Manchester United, Quincy Promes, has been sentenced to six years in prison in absentia for drug trafficking.

Amsterdam District Court ruled that the 32-year-old – who plays in the Russian Premier League for Spartak Moscow – was involved in the import and export of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine in 2020.

Promes, who lives in Moscow, did not attend his trial in the Dutch capital and is not expected to return to the Netherlands in the foreseeable future.

Prosecutors had asked judges to sentence him to nine years for his involvement in the smuggling of 1,360kg of cocaine through the port of Antwerp in Belgium to the Netherlands in two shipments.

The court said phone-tapping showed Promes had been directly involved with the shipments of the drugs, hidden in shipments of salt from Brazil, and their further transport from the port.

In a written verdict, the court added that Promes got involved in the drug imports despite being a highly paid footballer with legions of fans and followers on social media.

“This makes it even more objectionable that the suspect tries to increase his wealth (and possibly also prestige in certain circles) through involvement in large international drug transports,” the court said.

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Promes’s lawyers told judges he denied the allegations of importing, exporting, transporting and possessing the drugs.

They told Dutch newspaper AD the footballer would appeal his sentence.

In another Dutch court case, he was last year sentenced in absentia to 18 months in jail for assault, in connection with a fight in 2020 where he stabbed his cousin in the knee.

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Promes has also filed an appeal against that sentence.

The former Ajax and Sevilla forward made 50 appearances and scored seven times for the Dutch national side, but was struck from the team after he was charged with trafficking in 2021.

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