Footballer Radja Nainggolan arrested as part of cocaine smuggling investigation in Belgium with former Roma midfielder, 36, held by police

Former Roma and Belgium midfielder Radja Nainggolan has been arrested as part of a cocaine smuggling investigation, according to reports.

Nainggolan, capped 30 times by the Belgian national side and now on the books at second-tier side Lokeren-Temse in his homeland, was detained by police during a probe into the smuggling of drugs from South America via the port of Antwerp.

It has emerged that around 30 houses were raided in Antwerp and Brussels.

The Brussels public prosecutor’s office said: ‘The federal judicial police of Brussels carried out thirty house searches on Monday morning in the context of a file from the Organised Crime department of the Brussels public prosecutor’s office. 

‘The house searches mainly took place in the province of Antwerp and in Brussels.

‘The investigation concerns suspected facts of importing cocaine from South America to Europe, via the port of Antwerp, and its redistribution in Belgium.

Nainggolan, who earned 30 caps for Belgium, was detained by police on Monday morning

The sting was carried out as part of a probe into the smuggling of drugs via the port of Antwerp

‘We can confirm that the footballer RN (Radja Nainggolan) was deprived of his liberty in the context of that case.

‘Given that the interrogations are underway, and in compliance with the principle of presumption of innocence, no further comment will be made at this stage.’ 

Belgian outlet HLN have reported that Nainggolan’s lawyer Omar Souidi is supporting his client and that he was present for his hearing.

Nainggolan’s car is also said to have been towed away as part of the house search. 

Lokeren-Temse learned that Nainggolan had been arrested through the press.

‘As the investigation is still ongoing, the police services do not want to and cannot make any further comment,’ a club statement read.

‘They respect the principle of presumption of innocence. As a club, we agree with this. We can only confirm that the player was absent from training this morning.’

The 36-year-old has spent much of his career in Italy, having departed his home country for minnows Piacenza at the age of 17. Nainggolan’s first senior breakthrough came with Cagliari in Serie A, before he joined Roma in 2014. 

Veteran Nainggolan, 36, now plays for Lokeren-Temse in the second tier in Belgium

He won the Serie A title during his stint with Inter Milan before returning to his homeland

There, he made over 200 appearances and scored 33 goals.

Nainggolan earned an eye-catching move to Inter Milan in 2018 and he won the league title during the 2020-21 season before returning to Belgium. 

He has scored six goals at international level and was part of Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’ also featuring Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Vincent Kompany.