Ex-Serbian footballer arrested for alleged cocaine trafficking

Dusan Petković is the son of Serbian football legend Ilija Petković and lined out seven times for the national team.

Serbian news outlet Blic reports that he is one of eight arrested as part of a Europol probe into a fraudulent concrete company that sold slabs stuffed with hidden cocaine packages.

Dusan is detained for his alleged part in the group that bought legitimate concrete from a Luxemberg company before replacing them with the cocaine-filled fakes from Belgium.

Authorities have seized 115kg of cocaine from the slabs across Rotterdam – where they were transported – and the Belgian city of Arlon – where they were filled with the drug in a hangar.

It is suspected the cocaine was sourced from South America.

Blic reports the group had plans to then ship the cocaine-filled concrete to London for distribution in the UK.

Dusan’s hopes of a World Cup appearance in 2006 were dashed when public pressure forced him to pull out of the squad.

With his father as coach and selector, it was claimed his role on the team was based in nepotism, pulling out before he could make the trip to Germany.

The senior Petković passed away in 2020 following a career as a selector, national coach and player for the 1974 Yugoslavian national team when they played in the World Cup.

He scored a prolific goal in their 9-0 win against Zaire during the tournament.

His son’s career is described by Serbian sports news outlet Sportal as “not a notable” one, predominantly playing for his home club OFK Belgrade interspersed with brief transfers to Majorca, Wolfsburg, Nuremburg, Saturn Moscow and Spartak Moscow.

In recent months, he has been the sports director of OFK Belgrade.