Former professional footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has pleaded guilty to orchestrating the smuggling of £600,000 worth of cannabis into the UK, following a detailed investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
The ex-Arsenal and Bristol City forward was found to have recruited two women—his girlfriend Yasmin Piotrowska and her friend Rosie Rowland—to travel to Thailand and smuggle the drugs back to the UK.
Smuggling Operation and Arrest
The two women were stopped at Stansted Airport by Border Force officers, who searched their four suitcases and recovered a total of 60 kilograms of cannabis.
Investigators discovered that this was not the first attempt. With Thomas’s direction, the women had previously made a near-identical trip months earlier, fully funded by Thomas and incentivised with a £2,500 payment promise.
“This case demonstrates the lengths to which organised criminals will go, and the influential roles public figures may play in facilitating serious crime,” said an NCA spokesperson.
Legal Proceedings Ongoing
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who played for a string of clubs including Arsenal, Ipswich Town, and Bristol City, now faces sentencing. Legal proceedings for Piotrowska and Rowland are also underway.
The NCA praised the swift work of Border Force officers in intercepting the drug haul before it reached UK streets.
