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Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, a professional soccer player who once played for Arsenal Football Club, has been arrested and charged with trying to smuggle marijuana from Thailand through a British airport.
According to reports, the 33-year-old Emmanuel-Thomas — who currently plays for second-tier Scottish club Greenock Morton — was taken into custody by authorities near his home in Glasgow, Scotland on Wednesday, September 18.
Emmanuel-Thomas, who is accused of trying to smuggle $800,000 worth of marijuana into the country, was then transported to the English city of Carlise for questioning. He’s set to appear in a Carlise court on Thursday, September 19.
The National Crime Agency says that the marijuana was seized at a London airport on September 2, resulting in the arrests of two alleged female co-conspirators.
“The drug-smuggling case followed customs officers detecting about 60 kilograms (130 pounds) of cannabis in two suitcases at Stansted airport near London that arrived on a flight from Bangkok on Sept. 2. Two women were arrested.” [via Assossciated Press]
Emmanuel-Thomas, who made one senior appearance for Arsenal after being developed at their academy from 1998 to 2008, has also played for clubs such as Blackpool, Doncaster Rovers, Cardiff City, Ipswich Town, Bristol City, Queens Park Rangers, Milton Keynes Dons, Gillingham, PTT Rayong, Livingston, Aberdeen, Jamshedpur, and Kidderminster Harriers.
In Thailand, a charge of marijuana possession could result in a jail sentence of 15 years. In the United Kingdom, the maximum sentence for drug smuggling is 14 years. Perhaps Emmanuel-Thomas should be glad he got caught in the U.K. and not in Thailand.