Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has admitted his involvement in an attempt to smuggle £600,000 of cannabis into the UK.
The 34-year-old, who played five times under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, was arrested on September 2, 2024.
Emmanuel-Thomas was playing in Scotland when the arrest took place last year
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Emmanuel-Thomas was playing in Scotland when the arrest took place last yearCredit: Getty
He subsequently had his contract terminated by Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton shortly after.
The arrest was conducted by the National Crime Agency [NCA] and took place in Gourock, Inverclyde, while the smuggling occurred at Stansted Airport.
Emmanuel-Thomas, who played his best football at Bristol City, has now pleaded guilty to the offence.
He will be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court at a later date.
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The maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is 14 years in prison.
The father of two initially denied the charge in October when he pleaded not guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court, speaking via video link from HMP Durham.
Rosie Rowland, 28, and Yasmin Piotrowska, 33, were initially charged alongside Emmanuel-Thomas but those charges have now been dropped.
Prosecutor David Josse KC said the NCA conducted a 'very thorough investigation'.
He also said Rowland and Piotrowska's involvement was discontinued after analysis of Emmanuel-Thomas' phone, and the pair wept as they left the court.
"They thought they were importing gold, not cannabis," the prosecutor said.
The NCA previously said the drugs arrived in suitcases from Bangkok via Dubai.
More to follow.