Footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas Denies £600,000 Cannabis Smuggling Charge

The former Arsenal player faces allegations of drug importation alongside two co-defendants after a major seizure at Stansted Airport.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, 33, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court via video link from HMP Durham, pleading not guilty to importing class B drugs.
The National Crime Agency seized 60kg of cannabis worth approximately £600,000 at Stansted Airport on September 2, linked to flights from Bangkok.
Co-defendants Rosie Rowland and Yasmin Piotrowska also denied the charges during the court hearing.
Emmanuel-Thomas was arrested in Gourock, Inverclyde, following a joint investigation by Police Scotland and the National Crime Agency.
The trial is provisionally scheduled for May, with a case management hearing set for January 6, 2025.