Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, a professional footballer for Greenock Morton, has been charged with attempting to import drugs into the UK. The 33-year-old striker was arrested in Gourock, near Glasgow, and taken to Carlisle where he was charged after officers discovered 60kg of Class B drugs with an estimated value of £600,000 in suitcases arriving at Stansted Airport from Bangkok. Emmanuel-Thomas did not enter a plea to the charge in court, but his lawyer said he “strenuously” denied any involvement and wanted to clear his name at trial.
Emmanuel-Thomas is a former England under-17 and under-19 international who has played for a number of clubs across the UK and Thai team PTT Rayong. The player signed a six-month contract with Greenock Morton in July. In court, prosecutor Diane Jackson said that two women had been arrested in connection with the discovery of the drugs, with 29kg of cannabis spread across two of the suitcases, and 31kg contained in the remaining two. One of the women is said to be the partner of Emmanuel-Thomas.
After being questioned by the National Crime Agency (NCA), both women were charged with drug importation offences. They appeared before Chelmsford Magistrates Court and were bailed to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on 1 October. The NCA recently issued a warning to travellers that they face jail sentences if caught trying to bring cannabis into the UK from Thailand, Canada, and the United States.
District Judge Steven Jonas ruled that the allegation against Emmanuel-Thomas was too serious to be dealt with in a magistrates’ court and he was remanded in custody after an application for bail was rejected. The maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is up to 14 years in prison. The NCA continues to work with Border Force to target those involved in drug smuggling, including couriers and organisers
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