Skilled footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has appeared in court docket accused of drug importation after £600,000 price of hashish was discovered stashed in suitcases at a UK airport.
Emmanuel-Thomas, a 33-year-old striker who at present performs for Scottish Championship facet Greenock Morton, was arrested by Nationwide Crime Company (NCA) officers earlier this week. This was on suspicion of orchestrating the tried importation of hashish price £600,000 by means of Stansted Airport.
An Company spokesman confirmed a 33-year-old man had been detained simply after 8am yesterday in Gourock, Inverclyde, in an operation supported by officers from Police Scotland.
The footballer was transported to Carlisle to be questioned. And he appeared in entrance of deputy district decide Steven Jonas on the metropolis’s magistrates’ court docket early on Thursday afternoon.
Dad-of-two Emmanuel-Thomas, of Cardwell Street, Gourock, faces one cost. This alleges drug importation and particularly that he was involved within the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a category B drug — hashish. Courtroom papers present the offence is alleged to have been dedicated on 2nd September this 12 months within the London space.
Skilled footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has appeared in court docket accused of drug importation after £600,000 price of hashish
Roughly 60kg of the substance was present in a lot of suitcases at Stansted Airport
An Company spokesman confirmed a 33-year-old man had been detained simply after 8am yesterday in Gourock, Inverclyde, in an operation supported by officers from Police Scotland
Throughout a 15-minute court docket listening to, Emmanuel-Thomas — who captained Arsenal to Youth Cup remaining success in 2009 — spoke clearly to substantiate his title, date of delivery and deal with. He appeared within the dock carrying a mustard-coloured ESSENTIALS designer long-sleeved high, sporting tied-back dreadlocked hair and a beard.
No plea was entered to the cost when it was learn to him by the court docket authorized advisor on the instruction of his lawyer, Nathaniel Gadsby. ‘There isn’t any indication of plea,’ Mr Gadsby confirmed. ‘There may be scant data (on the court docket file); simply 4 witness statements. It’s just about unimaginable to inform what’s even charged, I am afraid.’
Mr Gadsby stated of Emmanuel-Thomas: ‘He does strenuously deny any involvement in any plan to import medication into the UK. He’s desirous to clear his title at trial.’
The solicitor additionally stated: ‘Mr Emmanuel-Thomas is a 33-year-old man, good character, no convictions. He has been knowledgeable soccer participant for all his grownup life and performed at a lot of high groups throughout the UK.’
Prosecutor Diane Jackson informed the court docket how two ladies — one in all whom, she stated, is the accomplice of Emmanuel-Thomas — had been arrested after travelling into the UK, enterprise class, from Bangkok through Dubai.
A complete of 4 suitcases have been stated to have been seized. Some 29kg of hashish have been unfold throughout two of those, with 31kg contained within the remaining two. The estimated complete potential avenue worth of the drug was £600,000.
Emmanuel-Thomas (second from left) gained the FA Youth Cup with Arsenal in 2009, alongside Jack Wilshere (left) Shanchez Watt (second from proper) and Cedric Evina (proper)
He joined Arsenal at age eight and went on to make his debut for the membership in 2010, earlier than becoming a member of Ipswich a 12 months later
Emmanuel-Thomas has performed for a bunch {of professional} golf equipment north and south of the border through the previous 15 years
Cellphone proof was stated to have been collected by regulation enforcement officers. And Mrs Jackson alleged of Emmanuel-Thomas: ‘It reveals that he carried out in depth analysis into flights and instructions; which airports the females had been coming into. It’s stated this isn’t the primary journey he has organized.’
For the needs of administration, the district decide stated he was treating Emmanuel-Thomas’ no plea as a not responsible plea.
A authorized advisor stated the cost was such that it may very well be handled at a magistrates’ or crown court docket.
Deputy district decide Jonas dominated the allegation was too critical to be handled in a magistrates’ court docket.
Emmanuel-Thomas was remanded in custody after an software for bail was rejected.
His case was despatched for a plea and trial preparation listening to, initially to Carlisle Crown Courtroom, on 18th October.
Emmanuel-Thomas’s look in court docket follows the arrest of two ladies, aged 28 and 32, at Stansted on 2nd September. Border Power are stated to have detected round 60 kilos of the drug in a quantity suitcases which had arrived on a flight from Bangkok.
He was additionally as soon as described by Arsene Wenger as having ‘excellent high quality’ and had ‘huge potential’
After being questioned by the NCA each have been charged with drug importation offences. They have been bailed throughout an preliminary magistrates’ court docket listening to to seem at Chelmsford Crown Courtroom on 1st October.
Emmanuel-Thomas has performed for a bunch {of professional} golf equipment north and south of the border through the previous 15 years. These embrace Ipswich City, Bristol Metropolis, QPR and Aberdeen.
Senior Investigating Officer for the NCA, David Phillips, stated: ‘The NCA continues to work with companions like Border Power to focus on these concerned in drug smuggling – that features each the couriers and the organisers.
‘We’d attraction to anybody who’s approached to have interaction in any sort of smuggling to assume very fastidiously in regards to the possible penalties of their actions, and the possibly life-changing dangers they are going to be taking.’
Emmanuel-Thomas joined Arsenal’s youth academy when he was eight years previous however did not have an effect within the first-team after graduating from the Gunners’ academy.
He made his Premier League debut for the membership throughout a 2-0 defeat by Chelsea in October 2010. A month later he would make his Champions League bow in a 2-1 defeat by Shakhtar, earlier than leaving Arsenal to hitch Ipswich for £1.1million in 2011.
Emmanuel-Thomas was 19 when he made his debut for Arsenal’s males’s senior facet and had notably impressed legendary Gunners supervisor Wenger having additionally helped the membership clinch the FA Youth Cup through the 2008-09 season.
Emmanuel-Thomas scored 33 targets throughout 103 video games for Bristol Metropolis between 2013 and 2015
Throughout his skilled profession, the footballer additionally performed for Bristol Metropolis, QPR, MK Dons and Gillingham
‘Jay is knocking very onerous on my door – with two palms. He has excellent high quality,’ the ex-Arsenal boss informed Arsenal TV On-line again in 2010, per ESPN. ‘He works very onerous to get his health proper. When his health is correct, Jay might be not solely an excellent participant however a fantastic participant.
‘One factor is for positive – he can rating targets. That may be a huge expertise you can’t give to individuals, his proper foot, left foot, he’s unbelievable in entrance of purpose.
‘This man is an unbelievable finisher, inside and out of doors of the field. He has excellent qualities, he has the construct you dream to have. It’s all the way down to how far he needs to go as a result of he has huge potential.’
Chatting with Mail Sport on his Arsenal departure in 2015, Emmanuel-Thomas admitted that he needed extra common first-team motion and determined to maneuver to Ipswich.
He stated: ‘I did not wish to be that man to maintain coming out and in when individuals have been injured and match once more, so I needed to transfer on.’
In a separate interview, he stated: ‘Clearly it got here to the stage in my profession at Arsenal the place I wanted to be enjoying video games. I had a call to make and Ipswich appeared the suitable place for me.
‘I had fun at Arsenal and I’ll miss all of the boys however my future is about me and I wanted to maneuver on.’
The 33-year-old is anticipated to seem earlier than Carlisle Magistrates on Thursday over the fees
The striker additionally frolicked in India between 2022 and 2023 for Tremendous League facet Jamshedpur FC
The 33-year-old is anticipated to seem earlier than Carlisle Magistrates on Thursday over the fees
After spells at Bristol metropolis, QPR and Gillingham, the 33-year-old left the UK to play for Thailand facet PTT Rayong FC. However Emmanuel-Thomas would later return to the UK and in recent times, has performed for Livingston, Aberdeen and Kidderminster.
On his model of soccer, Emmanuel-Thomas additionally informed Mail Sport: ‘On a soccer pitch when one thing is available in my head I by no means assume: ‘I might higher not try this in case I lose the ball’. I’m extra an individual who will assume: ‘If I strive that it’s going to work’.’
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