Ex-Arsenal Player Admits £600,000 Cannabis Smuggling

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, 34, a former professional footballer who once captained Arsenal’s FA Youth Cup-winning team and played for several clubs in England and abroad, has pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle £600,000 worth of cannabis into the UK from Thailand. He was arrested in September 2024 after Border Force officers found 60kg of cannabis in suitcases at Stansted Airport following a flight from Bangkok. Emmanuel-Thomas initially denied the charges but changed his plea to guilty in May 2025 at Chelmsford Crown Court, where he awaits sentencing and faces up to 14 years in prison. Following his arrest, Greenock Morton terminated his contract. Two co-defendants, Rosie Rowland and Yasmin Piotrowska, had charges dropped after investigators determined they believed they were importing gold, not drugs.