At the helm, the former professional footballer made his mea culpa.

Facing the judges of the Lorient Criminal Court, the former Merlus player Walid Mesloub assured that he had "not seen the harm" when he exchanged luxury cars with a man nicknamed "the Chinese".

Suspected of being at the head of a major cocaine traffic, this man would have repeatedly asked Walid Mesloub to help him exchange or resell luxury cars.

"I was negligent, he was making a very good living, I didn't see the harm.

He took advantage of my notoriety, I may have been too naive, too nice, ”explained Walid Mesloub at the helm.

The former Algerian FC Lorient international was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence on Tuesday for money laundering.

Aged 36, the one who is now assistant coach of the RC Lens reserve would have carried out transactions of up to 70,000 euros to exchange major brand vehicles.

Assisted by an accountant, Walid Mesloub should have worried about the “abnormal side of the services” which were requested of him, according to the prosecutor, who assesses the sums laundered in this case at 508,000 euros.

The companion of the "Chinese" receives five years in prison

Maëva A., 26, companion of the "Chinese", was also tried for drug trafficking involving several tens of kilos of cocaine resold between 2018 and 2020. She was sentenced to five years in prison, one of which was suspended.

Two other defendants, a 28-year-old Parisian restaurateur and a 29-year-old craftsman from Var, were sentenced respectively to one and two years in prison suspended for money laundering in connection with trafficking.

The trial of the "Chinese", a 38-year-old man suspected of being the head of cocaine trafficking in Lorient, will take place on May 31 and June 1.

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  • Justice

  • Sport

  • Soccer

  • Whitening

  • Cocaine

  • Drug traffic

  • luxury cars

  • FC Lorient

  • Lorient

  • RC Lens

  • Brittany