Former football player sentenced to four years in prison for drug trafficking

Former football player sentenced to four years in prison for drug trafficking

The former football player Jay Emmanuel-thoma condemned because it was involved in the smuggling of over 60 kilograms of cannabis that had a value of around $ 800,000, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom.

The role of Jay Emmanuel-Thomas

Emmanuel-Thomas, who previously played with well-known clubs such as Arsenal and the recently relegated Ipswich Town, recruited two women to obtain the cannabis from Thailand and transport it to Great Britain, as the NCA announced in a statement.

arrest of the accomplices

The two women were stopped by the authorities in September after entering Stansted from Bangkok at Stansted Airport. They were originally accused of cannabis smuggling. According to NCA, however, the women believed that they transported gold in two suitcases, which is why the indictment against them was dropped.

confession and judgment

Last month, Emmanuel-Thomas admitted that he had orchestrated the background of the plan and acted as an intermediary between the suppliers in Thailand and the drug dealers in the United Kingdom. When he was published in court this week, the four -year prison sentence was confirmed.

The effects on his career

Judge Alexander Mills said when Emmanuel-Thomas sat on the dock: "Her transition from professional football player to the criminal is a significant case of mercy that effectively ends the only career path that you have ever known." According to the bbc had written a handwritten letter that was read out in the court. In it he expressed that the past year was "harmful and open to the eye" and was "sometimes unbearable".

The background of the crime

his lawyer, Alex Rose, said that his client slipped into crime after being exposed to "considerable financial difficulties" during his career, the BBC.

the warning of the NCA

The leading investigator of the NCA, David Philips, expressed in a Explanation : "We ask everyone who is asked to bring something into the United Kingdom that he is unsure about simply rejecting." He emphasized that organized criminals like Thomas are very convincing with promises from payments and other incentives for courier drivers, but the risk of being caught is very high and it is not worth it.

The professional career of Emmanuel-Thomas

The 34-year-old striker played for the Scottish club Greenock Morton at the time of his arrest in September last year, who then terminated his contract with immediate effect. He started his career in the Arsenal Academy and then played for other British clubs such as Bristol City, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City. He also represented the youth team of England and played at the end of his career in India and Thailand.

reports by CNN, written by George Ramsay and Ben Morse, contributed to reporting.