Karmichael Hunt, one of Australia’s most successful sportsmen, has been charged with supplying cocaine as part of an investigation by Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).

Hunt, 28, was arrested and charged with four counts of supply on Thursday evening, days after playing as five-eighth for the Queensland Reds rugby team.

Guardian Australia understands Hunt’s arrest is related to an earlier joint CCC and police investigation that allegedly uncovered cocaine trafficking by two other prominent footballers, one-time Queensland rugby league player Jason Smith and NSW counterpart Matt Seers.

Hunt is expected to appear at Southport magistrates court on 5 March.

Brisbane solicitor Angelo Venardos, who is acting in Hunt’s defence, has declined to comment.

Hunt was charged alongside current Gold Coast Titans rugby league players Beau Fallon, 27, of Mermaid Waters, who faces four counts of supply, and Jamie Dowling, 24, of Burleigh Waters, who faces two counts of supply and seven counts of possession, and a 22-year-old woman from Mermaid Waters.

The CCC said the four had been “identified allegedly arranging the supply of cocaine during an ongoing drug trafficking investigation”.

“The CCC will allege that during an investigation focused on a cocaine trafficking syndicate operating in south-east Queensland, these four individuals were identified contacting the syndicate and arranging for the supply of cocaine,” it said.



The CCC further alleged: “The three men and one woman arranged for the supply of cocaine for personal use or to on-supply cocaine to friends and colleagues between June and December 2014.”

Hunt is the first Australian to have played at elite level across the codes of rugby league, Australian rules football and rugby union.

The 28-year-old made his name with the Brisbane Broncos and Queensland rugby league teams before switching to AFL with the Gold Coast Suns in 2009.

Hunt signed a contract with the Queensland Reds rugby union team in August 2014, being appointed the Reds’ vice-captain in January.

The same month, Smith was charged with trafficking cocaine after a joint investigation by Queensland police and the CCC.

Hunt’s co-accused are also expected to appear at Southport magistrates court on 5 March.

Smith and prominent Toowoomba restaurateur Jason Wood have been accused of trafficking 280g of cocaine between June and December last year.

The Australian rugby union and Queensland rugby union issued a statement saying they were “aware of reports regarding Karmichael Hunt”.

“The ARU’s Integrity team and the Queensland Rugby Union are making enquiries into the reports,” it said. “We’ll be in a position to comment in more detail once those enquiries have progressed.”