Edinho, Pele’s Son Arrested for Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering

Edson Cholbi Nascimento also known as Edinho, son of the Brazilian legend Edson Arantes Do Nascimento otherwise called Pele was arrested on Tuesday in his home in Santos, Brazil.

Edinho, 43, was sentenced to 33 years in prison in May for money laundering raised from drug trafficking, but was allowed to remain free pending his appeal.

Police said his arrest was to prevent him from fleeing the country after failing to hand over his passport to the authorities as requested.

Edinho, who is Pele’s third son from his first marriage, said he had lost the document. He was a goalkeeper for his father’s former club, Santos. Edinho was found guilty of having links with a notorious drug gang in the city of Santos, in Sao Paulo state. Although he admitted buying drugs, he however denied working with the gang.

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His lawyer, Sidney Goncalves, said he would ask for his client to be released, adding that keeping Edinho in custody was “unnecessary” as his passport had been cancelled and his client therefore had no way of leaving the country.