Dopey striker’s 27 million baht own goal in cannabis smuggle sting
Ex-Arsenal ace faces jail after duping lover in Thai suitcase scam
A former Arsenal wonderkid has admitted his part in a plot to smuggle £600,000 (26.4 million baht) worth of cannabis from Thailand to Britain, after luring his girlfriend and her pal into playing unwitting drug mules.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, was nicked after 60 kilogrammes of cannabis was found stuffed inside four suitcases that had just landed at London Stansted Airport from Bangkok.
The ex-England youth international, who was booted from Scottish side Greenock Morton after being charged, now faces a hefty stretch behind bars.
The disgraced dad-of-two pleaded guilty in May, and will be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court. A reporting ban on the case was lifted on yesterday, May 21.
Prosecutor David Josse KC said the plot was busted after a “very thorough investigation” by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Investigators revealed the 34 year old posed as the middleman between criminal gangs in Thailand and the UK, while conning his then 33 year old girlfriend Yasmin Piotrowska, and her 28 year old friend Rosie Rowland into making the trip under false pretences.
The BBC reported that the pair were offered an all-expenses-paid Thai getaway and promised £2,500 (110,000 baht) believing they were helping move gold, not ganja.
But Border Force officials were waiting at Stansted when the women touched down on September, 2024, and swooped on their baggage, which was packed with cannabis.
Charges against the pair, Piotrowska, of Purves Road, north-west London, and Rowland, of Southend Road, Chelmsford, were later dropped after cops examined Emmanuel-Thomas’s mobile phone.
“They thought they were importing gold, not cannabis,” said Prosecutor Josse.
The two women burst into tears as they were freed from the dock.
On his way to the cells, Emmanuel-Thomas reportedly muttered: “I just feel sorry for the girls.”
David Philips, a senior NCA investigator, said: “Organised criminals like Emmanuel-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.”
The ex-forward, who once played alongside the likes of Cesc Fàbregas and Robin van Persie, made five senior appearances for Arsenal and later turned out for Ipswich, Bristol City, QPR, MK Dons and even Thai side PTT Rayong.
Now, instead of trophies, he’s facing a possible 14 years inside.
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