Former Arsenal striker is charged with importing drugs after £600,000 of cannabis is seized at Stansted Airport

Former Arsenal striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been charged with importing drugs after ‘£600,000 of cannabis’ was seized at Stansted Airport, according to reports. 

The Greenock Morton striker was arrested at 8am on Wednesday after UK Border Force officials found several suitcases containing the drugs had arrived in the United Kingdom on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand on September 2.

According to the National Crime Agency (NCA) around 60 kilograms of the drug were found in two suitcases.  

NCA officers subsequently detained the footballer and he has since been charged with importing class B drugs. 

The 33-year-old has been held in police custody and is due to appear at Carlisle Magistrates court on Thursday in relation to the charges.

Two women, aged 28 and 32 had also been arrested at Stanstead Airport, according to the NCA and were also charged with drug importation offences. Both wereissued bail after appearing before Chelmsford Magistrates court and are due to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on October 1. 

Senior Investigating Officer for the NCA, David Phillips, said: ‘The NCA continues to work with partners like Border Force to target those involved in drug smuggling – that includes both the couriers and the organisers.

‘We would appeal to anyone who is approached to engage in any kind of smuggling to think very carefully about the likely consequences of their actions, and the potentially life-changing risks they will be taking.’

Emmanuel-Thomas joined Arsenal’s youth academy when he was eight years old but failed to have an impact in the first-team, making his Premier League debut for the club during a 2-0 defeat by Chelsea in 2010, before leaving the club to join Ipswich for £1.1million the following year. 

More to follow…