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Former Arsenal academy product Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a plot to smuggle £600,000 worth of cannabis into the UK.
The 34-year-old was arrested after border officials at Stansted Airport intercepted two suitcases filled with approximately 60kg of cannabis. The drugs had arrived on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand.
Emmanuel-Thomas, once a rising star who represented England at under-17 and under-19 levels, was found to have played a “significant role” in the operation, acting as a link between suppliers in Thailand and drug distributors in the UK.
He pleaded guilty to one count of the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of cannabis. Chelmsford Crown Court heard that the drugs were smuggled into the country by his girlfriend, Yasmin Piotrowska, and another woman, Rosie Rowland, who flew business class to Stansted on September 2 last year. Prosecutors alleged that Emmanuel-Thomas recruited both women for the job, promising them £2,500 each and an all-expenses-paid trip to Thailand.
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The footballer’s involvement was uncovered through WhatsApp messages, voice notes, and photos. After Piotrowska was stopped by authorities, he advised Rowland to “delete everything from our chat if you can” and replaced his mobile phone days later.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (Image credit: Getty Images)
Although Piotrowska and Rowland were ultimately cleared after the Crown offered no evidence, the court heard that Emmanuel-Thomas used his status as a professional footballer to influence their decision to take part in the smuggling attempt.
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Judge Alexander Mills told Emmanuel-Thomas during sentencing: “This is a substantial fall from grace. It is through your own actions that you will no longer be known as a professional footballer—you will be known as a criminal, a professional footballer who threw it all away.”
At the time of his arrest, Emmanuel-Thomas had just signed a six-month deal with Scottish club Greenock Morton, who terminated his contract immediately. Over the course of his career, he played for several clubs including Ipswich Town, Bristol City, QPR, Livingston, and Aberdeen after graduating from Arsenal’s youth academy.
David Philips, senior investigating officer at the National Crime Agency (NCA), warned: “Organised crime groups make significant profits by trafficking cannabis illegally grown in countries like Thailand. Criminals like Emmanuel-Thomas can be persuasive in recruiting couriers, but the risk is high and it’s simply not worth it.”
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