Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (foto: Posnetek zaslona)
Ex-Arsenal striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been sentenced to four years in prison for organising the smuggling of £600,000 worth of cannabis from Thailand to the UK.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, a former Arsenal academy product once tipped for stardom, has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a large-scale drug smuggling operation.
The 34-year-old, known as JET during his playing days, was convicted at Chelmsford Crown Court for orchestrating the import of 60kg of cannabis from Thailand into the United Kingdom — a haul valued at around £600,000.
“Your actions will mean that you will no longer be known as a professional footballer, but as a criminal,” the judge said during sentencing.
Two women, his partner Jasmine Piotrowska and her friend Rose Rowland, were caught at the airport in September with drugs concealed in their luggage. Although both were later acquitted after claiming they believed they were transporting gold, evidence from their phones and police interviews identified Emmanuel-Thomas as the organiser.
Emmanuel-Thomas rose through Arsenal’s ranks and made his first-team debut in the 2010 FA Cup against Stoke City. He played once in the Premier League during the 2010/11 campaign before loan spells at Blackpool, Doncaster and Cardiff.
In 2011, he joined Ipswich Town, then had a standout season with Bristol City before moving to Queens Park Rangers. His career later saw him play in Thailand, India, Scotland, and the lower English divisions.
His last club was Greenock Morton in the Scottish Championship, who immediately terminated his contract upon news of his arrest.