After appearing in court on charges of planning the attempted importation of cocaine, professional football player Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was fired by Greenock Morton FC. The 33-year-old striker was detained on Wednesday at his Gourock, near Glasgow, residence and brought to Carlisle to be questioned.
What Happened to Jay Emmanuel?
Greenock Morton FC fired professional football player Jay Emmanuel-Thomas after he entered a courtroom and was accused of planning an attempt to smuggle narcotics.
On Wednesday, the 33-year-old striker was hauled into custody at his Gourock, near Glasgow, house and brought to Carlisle to be questioned.
The father of two did not enter a plea at the Carlisle Magistrates court to the charge. Still, according to his attorney, he “strenuously” denied any knowledge of any scheme to bring narcotics into the United Kingdom.
It occurred after 60 kg of cannabis worth an estimated £600,000 was found in luggage arriving at Stansted Airport from Bangkok by National Crime Agency (NCA) officials.
Former England under-17 and under-19 player Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has played for several teams, including Livingston, Aberdeen, Ipswich Town, Bristol City, Queens Park Rangers, Arsenal, Cardiff City, and PTT Rayong of Thailand.
In July, the striker agreed to a six-month deal with Greenock Morton, a team in the Scottish Championship.
Following the finding of the narcotics, two women, ages 28 and 32, were taken into custody, according to prosecutor Diane Jackson, who spoke in court.
She mentioned they were leaving Bangkok and entering the UK in business class via Dubai. The court was informed that Emmanuel-Thomas’s boyfriend is one of the ladies.
It was reported that four pieces of luggage had been confiscated. Two of these had around 29 kg of cannabis distributed across them, while the other two held 31 kilograms of cannabis. Both ladies were charged with drug importation offenses following their interrogation by the NCA.
They were bailed to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on October 1 after appearing before Chelmsford Magistrates Court. In Gourock on Wednesday, Emmanuel-Thomas was taken into custody just after 8:00 PM by NCA and Police Scotland personnel.
Since Carlisle was the nearest city to Scotland, the place of his arrest, he appeared in court there. The court was told that law enforcement officials had gathered phone evidence.
“It demonstrates that he conducted in-depth research into flights and directions, which airports the females had been arriving at,” Ms. Jackson stated. There are rumors that he has planned trips before.
Representing Emmanuel-Thomas, Nathaniel Gadsby declared: “He does strenuously deny any involvement in any plan to import drugs into the UK.” He is excited to get his name cleared in court.
“Mr. Emmanuel-Thomas is a 33-year-old man with good character and no convictions,” he said. He spent his whole adult life playing football professionally, playing for many elite teams in the UK.
Rejected Bail:
The district court declared that he was handling Emmanuel-Thomas’ no plea as a not guilty plea for administrative purposes.
A legal advisor says the charge might be heard in a magistrates’ or crown court.
However, a deputy district judge, Steven Jonas, decided the charge was too severe to be heard in a magistrates’ court.
A bail application was denied, and Emmanuel-Thomas was jailed on remand.
Greenock Morton said that his contract had been terminated “with immediate effect” following his court appearance.
Following a spike in arrests, the NCA warned visitors entering the UK from Thailand, Canada, and the US in August that they may face jail time if they were found trying to import cannabis.
According to the CIA, more than three times as much cannabis has been captured in 2024 thus far than there was in 2023. In the UK, the maximum penalty for importing cannabis is 14 years in jail.
According to NCA senior investigating officer David Phillips, the agency is still pursuing those involved in drug smuggling, including couriers and organizers, in collaboration with agencies like Border Force. We urge anyone asked to participate in any smuggling to consider the possible outcomes of their actions and the possible dangers they will incur.
