A former Aberdeen FC player has been charged following a major drug bust at a London airport.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who played for the Dons in the 21/22 season, was detained after the seizure of cannabis with a street value of £600,000 at Stansted Airport.
The 33-year-old striker was arrested in Scotland on Wednesday morning after being detained and questioned by National Crime Agency officers.
They believe he orchestrated the attempted major importation of the Class B drugs through Stansted Airport.
It follows the arrest of two women, aged 28 and 32, at Stansted on September 2.
Border Force officers detected around 60 kilos of the drug in two suitcases which had arrived on a flight from Bangkok.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas charged
The two women were charged with drug importation offences and appeared before Chelmsford Magistrates and were bailed to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on October 1.
Emmanuel-Thomas of Cardwell Road, Gourock, now plays for Greenock Morton in the Scottish Championship.
He was taken to Carlisle for questioning and has been remanded in custody.
The Englishman is expected to appear before Carlisle Magistrates today, Thursday, September 19 accused of importing class B drugs.
Drugs discovered in suitcases coming from Bangkok
NCA Senior Investigating Officer 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.”
In August, the National Crime Agency issued a warning to travellers arriving into the UK from Thailand, Canada and the United States that they face jail sentences if caught attempting to bring cannabis into the country, after a huge upsurge in arrests.
The amount of cannabis seized so far in 2024 is already over three times more than in the whole of 2023.
People travelling with the drugs as couriers reported being told by their recruiters that they were only risking a fine if caught.
However, the maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is up to 14 years in prison.
