CNN
—
Soccer player Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has admitted to orchestrating the smuggling of 60 kilograms (roughly 132 pounds) of cannabis worth around $800,000 (£600,000), according to the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
Emmanuel-Thomas, whose former clubs include Premier League sides Arsenal and Ipswich Town, recruited two women to collect the cannabis from Thailand and transport it back to the UK, the NCA said in a statement.
The NCA added that the case at Chelmsford Crown Court was adjourned on Wednesday with a sentencing date to be confirmed. The maximum sentence for cannabis importation into the UK is up to 14 years in prison, according to the NCA.
“It is believed Thomas … was the intermediary between suppliers in Thailand and drug pushers in the UK,” the NCA said in a press release.
The two women were originally charged with smuggling cannabis. However, the pair believed that they were transporting gold in two suitcases each, according to the NCA, and were acquitted with no evidence offered against them. They were taken into custody after arriving from Bangkok.
CNN Sports has contacted Emmanuel-Thomas for further comment.
The 34-year-old forward was playing for Scottish side Greenock Morton around the time of his arrest in September last year. The club subsequently terminated his contract with immediate effect.
“Organised crime groups make significant profits by trafficking and selling perceived high-quality cannabis legally grown in the US, Canada and Thailand illegally in the UK,” NCA senior investigating officer David Philips said in a statement.
“Organised criminals like Thomas can be very persuasive and offer payment to couriers. But the risk of getting caught is very high and it simply isn’t worth it.”
Emmanuel-Thomas had signed for Greenock Morton in July on a six-month deal. He had come through Arsenal’s academy as a youth player and previously played for several UK clubs including Bristol City, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City.