Ronnie Stam, a former footballer who once played in the Premier League, is facing serious charges after being accused of smuggling two tons of cocaine. The drugs are said to be worth about £48 million.

He appeared in court with his brother in Breda, Netherlands. The court heard they were involved in bringing cocaine from South America into Europe during 2020 and 2021.

If Stam is found guilty, he could be sentenced to as much as 13 years in prison. He might also face a large fine of £1.5 million.

Ronnie was arrested in June along with his brother, parents, and girlfriend. Since his arrest, he has been kept in custody.

During the court hearing, prosecutors said they found encrypted phone messages between Ronnie and his brother Rudi. These messages talked about drug shipments, and there were also photos showing cocaine.

According to The Sun, Ronnie told the court that the money in his bank account came from his football career, not from drugs.

He admitted that he helped bring 20 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil to Germany in 2020. However, he denied being involved in any other drug activities.

Ronnie played for Wigan Athletic from 2010 to 2013. He also played for Twente, Standard Liege, and NAC Breda. He was part of the Wigan team that won the FA Cup in 2013, although he didn’t play in the final.

In another court session last year, it was revealed that Ronnie was suspected of helping smuggle over 2,200 kilograms of cocaine.

One prosecutor said that Ronnie was heavily involved and called him a major figure in the drug trade.

Police raided six homes and a camper van during their investigation in June. They found £85,000 in cash.

Officers also took three houses, a yacht, three cars, six luxury watches, and some expensive jewellery as part of the investigation.