Source: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=622934&cc=5739 ; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7913620.stm
Spanish police have arrested 11 people and seized over six hundred kg of cocaine (street value £70m+) in connection with a drugs smuggling ring. An official apparently revealed that of the three footballers involved in the arrests, one is still playing in Spain with Segunda side, Rayo Vallecano, while the two other players have retired but used to play for Athletic Bilbao. Two football agents (one Spanish, the other a Serbian-born French citizen thought to be the leader of the ring) were also among the men arrested.
Police allegedly found the cocaine hidden in packets among machine parts for wind farms inside a shipping container in Madrid, which had been transported by boat from Argentina. It is widely believed the agents organised the smuggling operation while on a trip to Latin America scouting professional footballers.
In a statement, Fifa said it “strongly condemned any criminal activities which may be, even if indirectly, associated to football”.
Kris is a Senior Lecturer, and Co-Director of the Centre for International Sports Law (CISL) at Staffordshire University, UK. He originally trained and competed as an elite gymnast until a shoulder injury at university forced him to retire as an active competitor. He now spends his spare time coaching Trampolining, Gymnastics, DMT, Cheerleading, Parkour and anything that involves throwing yourself through the air with various degrees of twist and rotation!
Jon is an Associate Professor, and Co-Director of the Centre for International Sports Law (CISL) at Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia. Jon worked as a climbing guide, trained and coordinated search and rescue, managed risk and sales in the United States with a European-based manufacturer of outdoor equipment and advised recreation programmes on their exposure to legal risk. His extra-curricular background is just as diverse and includes stints playing semi-pro volleyball in Brazil, researching wolves in the Canadian Rockies, climbing and leading expeditions from Alaska to Argentina, Tajikistan to the Tetons, and many points in between. He has been married to Wendy for 15 years and together they have 2 wonderful kids – Tegan (10) and Brock (8) – whom he continues to emotionally scar as their football coach!
March 12, 2009
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