Former Arsenal starlet charged in $795k marijuana bust
Professional soccer player Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was arrested Wednesday morning due to an alleged connection to a massive drug operation. The former Arsenal youth star was detained in Scotland by National Crime Agency (NCA) officials. Emmanuel-Thomas only recently signed with Scottish Championship club Greenock Morton in July. He has one assist in five league matches so far this season.
The player’s arrest comes weeks after police seized over 130 pounds of marijuana at a London airport. According to reports, officers detected the drugs in two different suitcases coming into England from Thailand. The street value of the marijuana is reportedly worth nearly $800,000. Two women were also arrested in the apparent operation as well.
Emmanuel-Thomas remains in police custody and is expected to appear in court as early as Thursday. Greenock Morton has yet to make an official announcement on the ordeal, aside from being aware of an “ongoing situation” involving the player.
Legendary Arsenal coach previously had high hopes for Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
The 33-year-old soccer pro has bounced around to play for 15 total clubs in his career. Nevertheless, the attacker was once a highly rated prospect with Arsenal. Former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger raved about Jay Emmanuel-Thomas ahead of a League Cup clash with Newcastle in 2010.
“He has outstanding quality,” Wenger said of the then-youngster. “He works very hard to get his fitness right. When his fitness is right, Jay will be not only a good player but a great player.”
“One thing is for sure – he can score goals. That is a massive talent you cannot give to people, his right foot, left foot, he is unbelievable in front of goal.”
“This guy is an unbelievable finisher, inside and outside the box. He has outstanding qualities, he has the build you dream to have. It is down to how far he wants to go because he has big potential.”
Despite this potential, Emmanuel-Thomas only managed to make five total senior appearances with Arsenal. After going out on three different loans, the Gunners sold the attacker to Ipswich Town for around $1.3 million. He only spent two seasons with the Tractor Boys before moving on to Bristol City.
Emmanuel-Thomas seemed to find a home with the Robins at the time. He racked up 33 goals in 103 with the League One side. However, the forward/midfielder eventually went on to play for nine teams over the last decade. One of these spells was with the now-defunct Thai team PTT Rayong FC.
Marijuana smugglers can face up to 14 years in UK prison
NCA officials claim that marijuana busts have skyrocketed throughout 2024. Because of this, government officials have issued stern warnings to travelers heading into the United Kingdom from areas such as Thailand, Canada, and the United States.
The NCA says that couriers typically believe they will only face fines if authorities catch them. This, however, is not true. Current laws state that violators face a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison for smuggling marijuana into the area.
“The NCA continues to work with partners like Border Force to target those involved in drug smuggling – that includes both the couriers and the organizers,” stated David Phillips, an NCA senior investigator.
“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.”
PHOTOS: IMAGO