Former Pro Footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas Arrested for Alleged £600,000 Cannabis Smuggling
Former professional footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been charged by police for allegedly trying to smuggle around £600,000 worth of cannabis at Stansted Airport. The 33-year-old, who played for the likes of Bristol City and Aberdeen, was arrested at his home in Cardwell Road, Gourock, on Wednesday and taken to Carlisle for questioning.
Emmanuel-Thomas, who graduated from Arsenal’s youth academy, has been remanded in custody and is expected to appear before Carlisle Magistrates on Thursday, accused of importing class B drugs. The National Crime Agency (NCA) made the discovery, valuing the cannabis at around £600,000, after two suitcases arrived from Bangkok, Thailand, last month.
The NCA issued a warning to travelers arriving into the UK from Thailand, Canada, and the United States that they faced jail sentences if caught attempting to bring cannabis into the country after a series of arrests. The maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is up to 14 years in prison.
A Career in Free Fall
Emmanuel-Thomas’ football career has been marked by a series of loan spells and short-term contracts. He made five appearances for Arsenal before leaving the North London outfit. He then enjoyed loan spells at Blackpool, Doncaster Rovers, and Cardiff City before signing for Ipswich Town on a permanent deal. The forward then moved to Bristol City, where he enjoyed the best spell of his career, scoring 33 goals in 103 matches.
A Warning to Footballers
The arrest of Emmanuel-Thomas serves as a stark reminder to footballers that their actions off the pitch can have serious consequences. As the NCA’s senior investigating officer, David Phillips, said, "We would appeal to anyone who is approached to engage in any kind of smuggling to think very carefully about the likely consequences of their actions and the potentially life-changing risks they will be taking."
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