Former Crystal Palace player Michael Boateng has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after police discovered 19.7kg of crystal meth—worth up to £2.36 million—at his Croydon home.
The 34-year-old, described by the judge as playing a “significant role” in an organised crime group, was arrested on February 14, 2024, after officers found the drugs in a Slazenger sports bag at the flat he shared with his girlfriend and their two-month-old son. The haul is among the largest crystal meth seizures ever recorded in the UK.
Boateng had already been on bail for earlier drug offences after a September 2023 arrest, when police found cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, and cash in his possession and at his home. He later pleaded guilty to intent to supply cocaine and MDMA and possession of ketamine.
At Croydon Crown Court, prosecutors detailed how CCTV captured Boateng receiving the meth-laden bag a week before the raid. The court heard the drugs had a wholesale value of up to £400,000 and a street value approaching £2.4 million.
Defence counsel argued Boateng may have been coerced by organised criminals, but Judge Daniel Flahive ruled his involvement was far from minimal. “We are talking potentially millions of pounds in drugs,” the judge said. “This offence was committed while you were on bail for an earlier case.”
Boateng, who began his career with Crystal Palace between 2005 and 2007, went on to play for Bristol Rovers, Bromley, Sutton United, Newport County, and non-league Whitehawk. His career ended after a 2013 match-fixing probe led to a prison sentence, a lifetime ban from football, and further convictions for drug offences.
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