Jay Emmanuel-Thomas: former Arsenal footballer arrested as £600,000 of cannabis seized

Former Arsenal, Queens Park Rangers and Doncaster Rovers striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been arrested after around 60kg of cannabis - thought to be worth around £600,000 - was seized by police at Stansted Airport.

Following his arrest, which took place around 8am on Wednesday in Gourock, Inverclyde, Scotland, the 33-year-old was taken across the border to Carlisle for questioning. He was not present when the drugs were seized, but was detained on ‘suspicion’ of orchestrating the deal.

Two suitcases, filled with cannabis, were discovered by Border Force officers after a flight from Bangkok arrived in Stansted. Cannabis is currently classified as a Class B drug in the UK - if one is deemed guilty of possession with intent to supply by a court of law, they can face up to 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine.

Additionally, two women, aged 28 and 32, were also arrested in connection with the incident. After being questioned by the NCA both were charged with drug importation offences, appeared Chelmsford Magistrates and were bailed to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on October 1.

Emmanuel-Thomas is currently remanded in custody and will appear before Carlisle Magistrates’ Court today.

During his career, Emmanuel-Thomas started life in the game at Arsenal, making a single appearance for the Gunners. He was then sold to Ipswich Town in 2011 - following this, he played for clubs such as Bristol City, Aberdeen and MK Dons. Currently, he is contracted to Greenock Morton in the Scottish Championship. As things stand, they have yet to make an official comment on the situation.

National Crime Agency senior investigating officer David Phillips said: "The NCA continues to work with partners like Border Force to target those involved in drug smuggling - that includes both the couriers and the organisers.

"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."

In August the National Crime Agency issued a warning to travellers arriving into the UK from Thailand, Canada and the United States that they face jail sentences if caught attempting to bring cannabis into the country, after a huge upsurge in arrests.

The NCA says that the amount of cannabis seized so far in 2024 is already over three times more than in the whole of 2023.People travelling with the drugs as couriers reported being told by their recruiters that they were only risking a fine if caught. However, the maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is up to 14 years in prison.