Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, a former Arsenal striker, was caught attempting to smuggle cannabis through Stansted Airport, believing it was gold. After initially denying the charges, he changed his plea to guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court. His arrest followed the seizure of roughly 60kg of cannabis by the National Crime Agency in September 2024, which led to his remand in custody. Two co-defendants were cleared of charges after prosecutors offered no evidence. Emmanuel-Thomas's sentencing is pending at a future date.
Prosecutor David Josse KC stated that at all times, both co-defendants believed they were importing gold, not cannabis, during the smuggling operation.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, a former Arsenal striker, changed his plea to guilty in May, acknowledging his involvement in the attempt to smuggle cannabis from Thailand.
The Border Force officers detected approximately 60kg of cannabis in two suitcases that arrived via a flight from Bangkok, leading to Emmanuel-Thomas's arrest.
Emmanuel-Thomas was remanded in custody after pleading guilty to the charges, with sentencing yet to be scheduled by the Chelmsford Crown Court.
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