Former Ajax player Quincy Promes, who now plays for Spartak Moscow, was sentenced to six years in prison last February for helping to smuggle cocaine. An international arrest warrant had been issued for the player. 

According to various media reports, including AFP, Promes has been under house arrest in a luxury hotel in Dubai since early March. He was arrested in Dubai almost two weeks ago for a "local offence" unrelated to the Dutch case. 

His arrest now follows an appeal to law enforcement agencies worldwide. "Thanks to the efforts of the authorities" in the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates, he was taken into custody, prosecutors said on Wednesday. "The Netherlands will request the man's extradition," the statement added..

Promes was sentenced in absentia by a Dutch court on 14 February. He was accused of smuggling more than a thousand kilograms of cocaine. Dutch public news broadcaster NOS, citing Russian media, said Promes was arrested on 1 March for leaving the scene of a traffic accident in Dubai, AFP reported. 

It's possible he was detained at the airport as his club flew home from a training camp. An extradition request from Moscow had previously failed, and judges at the Amsterdam District Court issued a warrant for his arrest following his conviction.

Promes' situation begins with the court confirming that in 2020 he, with the help of an accomplice, smuggled a total of 1,363 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil into the Netherlands via the Belgian port of Antwerp. The drugs were hidden in salt bags in containers on board a ship, some of which were later intercepted by customs officials.

Promes has other convictions in his past. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison for stabbing his cousin over a stolen necklace. He was also ordered to pay compensation. 

"The analysis of the circumstances preventing Quincy Promes from returning to Russia may take some time," Spartak said in a statement. It added that the club had been in contact with the player's representatives since the case came to light.

The Dutch winger was a key player for one of his country's biggest clubs: Ajax, four-time Champions League winners. In 2019, he was the subject of a 15 million euro transfer from Sevilla in the Spanish league. 

After playing in the Netherlands, he signed for Spartak in 2021 and is one of the Moscow club's main stars. Before his spells in Spain and the Netherlands, he played in Russia from 2014 to 2018. He was named Russian Footballer of the Year.