Ex-footballer Michael Boateng appears in court over £1m haul of crystal meth

A FORMER professional footballer has appeared in court over the massive seizure of £1 million worth of crystal meth.

Around 20 kilos of the Breaking Bad drug was found during a Valentine’s Day raid on a flat in Croydon, South London.

Wikipedia/@Oneova

Boateng, 32, previously played for Bristol Rovers[/caption]

Former Crystal Palace academy player Michael Boateng, 32, was arrested and charged with possession with intent to supply a Class A drug – Methylamphetamine.”

It was one of the biggest ever seizures of crystal meth in the UK and raises fears that the highly addictive drug is taking root here.

Boateng appeared in custody at Croydon magistrates’ court around 11am today and spoke only to confirm his name, age, and address in southeast London.

Mr Harris, defending, made no bail application or indication of plea ahead of Boateng’s next hearing at Croydon Crown Court on March 15.

District Judge Dean said: “I am remanding you in custody until then.”

Right back Boateng was on the books at Palace as a teenager between 2005 and 2007 when they were competing in the second tier Championship.

The defender went on to play for Bristol Rovers before having spells at Bromley, Sutton United, Newport County and Whitehawk.

After hanging up his boots in 2013, Boateng qualified as a personal trainer, with Prem stars like Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho and Spurs’s Ryan Sessegnon among his clients.

Police said the operation which led to his arrest “was part of ongoing work to disrupt and prevent serious violence in Croydon.”

A Met spokesperson said: “An estimated £1 million worth of crystal meth has been seized by police after a drugs warrant was carried out at a flat in Croydon on February 14.

“A 32-year-old man was arrested at the scene and later charged with possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.”

The explosion of crystal meth in the US was highlighted by the drama series Breaking Bad, in which a science teacher, Walter White, begins cooking the drug to make money after learning he has terminal cancer.

Until now, its use has not been widespread in the UK mainstream drug culture.