Latest news with #drugdeal
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Former Premier League player 'threw away' his professional career for a £5,000 pay-day drug deal, judge says as he locks him up for four years
A former Premier League player 'threw away' his professional career for a four-jail term over a £5,000 pay day for a drug deal, a judge said today. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who played for Arsenal and a string of other clubs, arranged for his girlfriend and another friend to bring suitcases with what the women thought was gold into the UK from Thailand. But the luggage was filled with 132lb of cannabis which was found when they were stopped and searched at Stansted Airport, leading to Emmanuel-Thomas' arrest. Within days of being charged, he was sacked by Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton and is now starting his time behind bars after admitting cannabis importation with a street value of £600,000 worth of the Class B drug. Chelmsford Crown Court heard he had offered the two women £2,500 for a free holiday to Thailand, while he was expecting just £5,000 if the operation was successful. It is understood he was acting as an intermediary between suppliers in Thailand, where he played between 2019 and 2020, and drug pushers in the UK. Sentencing him, Judge Alexander Mills said: 'It was you who got those women involved. They would be taking the primary risk of going to prison. 'You knew precisely who you were involved with and what you had gotten them involved with. 'Clearly, you were aware of the importation of cannabis from Thailand and the seemingly inexhaustible supply of it. 'It is through your own actions you will no longer be known as a professional footballer. 'You will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away.' Charges against the defendant's accomplices were dropped after he told police he had tricked them into taking part in the plot. Emmanuel-Thomas – who was once hailed as having 'big potential' by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger – saw his career unravel when his girlfriend, Yasmin Piotrowska, 33, and her 28-year-old friend Rosie Rowland, were caught on September 2 last year. Border Force officers looked in the four suitcases they had brought into the UK after flying business class from Bangkok to Stansted, via Dubai, and found the vacuum-packed drugs. National Crime Agency officers then arrested the footballer, who had paid for the women to go on a similar trip two months earlier, at his home in Gourock, Renfrewshire, on September 18. Prosecutor David Josse KC told the court the defendant had a 'significant role' in the drugs operation, which officers linked him to by numerous WhatsApp messages, voice notes and photos – despite him asking Miss Piotrowska, who sat in court weeping today, to 'delete everything' after her arrest. 'It became apparent that Mr Emmanuel-Thomas had been involved in their [the women's] recruitment and travel to Thailand,' Mr Josse said. Alex Rose, defending, said his London-born client's career had helped him 'turn his back on and disassociate from negative influences and temptation'. But the father-of-two became involved in the drugs world after falling into 'significant financial hard times' during a period when he didn't have a football contract and 'didn't realise the enormity of what he was entering into'. He added: 'His football career is finished. That is something he has brought entirely on himself but it is a devastating blow for somebody who had such promise.' A letter to the judge by the defendant, who wore a black roll-neck jumper beneath a grey suit jacket and was flanked by two security guards, was read out in court. In it, he said: 'This past year has been the most harmful and eye-opening of my life. At times it has been unbearable.' Referring to the eight months he had spent on remand, he added seeing his daughter there during visits 'broke me' - although he showed no emotion as he was sent down. Emmanuel-Thomas was 19 when he made his Premier League debut aged 19 for Arsenal against Chelsea, shortly after captaining its youth team to the FA Youth Cup. The technically gifted, agile striker was lauded by Wenger for his 'outstanding quality', who predicted he would 'not only be a good player but a great player'. 'It is down to how far he wants to go because he has big potential,' the Frenchman added. Despite his promising start, Emmanuel-Thomas struggled to stay in the Arsenal first team. He went on loan to Ipswich Town and then Bristol City, where he scored 24 goals in 82 appearances, before a spell at QPR. In 2019, he accepted a transfer to PTT Rayong, an obscure Thai team based just south of the capital, Bangkok. Thailand had become the first East Asian country to decriminalise cannabis just a year earlier, a decision that has led to a booming industry of commercial and cottage growers. Emmanuel-Thomas is believed to have acquired contacts in the country's weed industry during his short spell at PTT Rayong, which folded the year he joined. Despite continuing his professional career with an Indian team and several Scottish clubs, including Aberdeen, the footballer pursued the drug smuggling business on the side – with disastrous consequences. David Phillips, the senior investigating officer for the NCA, said: '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.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Major update after a young dad was stabbed to death in an alleged drug deal gone wrong
A second man has been arrested over a 'gruesome' stabbing murder they say was an alleged drug deal gone wrong. Officers found the body of a Malaysian man, 29, with multiple stab wounds about 5pm on Monday at Croydon Park, in Sydney 's inner-west. It's understood he had lived at the home with his wife and children for just a few months prior, according to shocked neighbours. Mohammad Sofwan Bin Mustafha, 32, was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital for assessment under police guard. He was later charged with murder and faced Burwood Local Court on Tuesday. He did not apply for bail and will return to the same court on July 30. A second man, aged 36, who police had been searching for, was arrested on Tuesday night. Police had earlier appealed for public assistance by releasing images of the man, saying he was last seen on the street where the stabbing occurred. The man charged with murder had attempted to flee the crime scene when police attended but was quickly apprehended, Superintendent Christine McDonald said. 'This is a gruesome crime,' she told reporters on Monday night. 'The man's injuries are horrific, and what we know from very preliminary investigations is that ... we believe this is a drug deal gone horribly wrong. 'We didn't give him any time to run away. We were here too quick.' On Tuesday morning, police were crawling over the quiet street as they attempted to piece together what happened. The victim, who has not yet been formally identified, was found with multiple stab wounds to his neck. Police were unsure of who lived at the house, who had attended before the fatal incident and the reason they were meeting, Supt McDonald said. She did not detail why police believed the incident had stemmed from an alleged drug deal. 'We don't believe it to be domestic-related, we don't believe it to be gang-related, but we need to work through all those steps of the investigation,' she said. 'The community down here would be shocked that something ... so brutal has happened in their street.' A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday the dead man lived with his wife and children at the Croydon Park home for just a few months before the alleged attack. 'The neighbourhood is feeling very unsettled. This is a really, really lovely quiet street,' she said. 'We do all know each other. Pretty much, we all know each other except for this particular house. 'They haven't lived here that long so we don't know much about them.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Shock twist after father was allegedly stabbed to death
Another man is being sought by police over a 'gruesome' homicide on a suburban street, which is believed to be the outcome of a drug deal gone wrong. Detectives continued to scour the scene in Sydney's inner west on Tuesday after officers found a man aged in his 50s stabbed to death about 5pm on Monday in Croydon Park. A 32-year-old man arrested at the scene is assisting police with their inquiries and has not been charged. Another man, believed to be a 29-year-old Malaysian national, is wanted for questioning. Police released images of this man on Tuesday, saying he was last seen on the street where the stabbing occurred on Monday afternoon. The man already in custody was taken to hospital for assessment under police guard. He had attempted to flee the crime scene when police attended but was quickly apprehended, Superintendent Christine McDonald said. 'This is a gruesome crime,' she told reporters on Monday evening. Another man is being sought by police over a 'gruesome' homicide on a suburban street, which is believed to be the outcome of a drug deal gone wrong 'The man's injuries are horrific, and what we know from very preliminary investigations is that ... we believe this is a drug deal gone horribly wrong. 'We didn't give him any time to run away, we were here too quick.' On Tuesday morning, police were crawling over the quiet street as they attempted to piece together what happened. The dead man was found with multiple stab wounds to his neck and police are treating the investigation as a homicide. Speaking on Monday night, Supt McDonald said police were unsure of who lived at the house, who had attended before the fatal incident and the reason they were meeting. 'We don't believe it to be domestic-related, we don't believe it to be gang-related, but we need to work through all those steps of the investigation,' she said. 'The community down here would be shocked that something so brutal has happened in their street.' The man in his 50s who died has not yet been formally identified. Detectives continued to scour the scene in Sydney 's inner west on Tuesday after officers found a man aged in his 50s stabbed to death about 5pm on Monday in Croydon Park Supt McDonald did not detail why she believed the incident had stemmed from a drug deal. A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday the dead man lived with his wife and children at the Croydon Park home for just a few months before the alleged attack. 'The neighbourhood is feeling very unsettled. This is a really, really lovely quiet street,' she said. 'We do all know each other. Pretty much, we all know each other except for this particular house. 'They haven't lived here that long so we don't know much about them.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Heartbreaking details emerge after a father was allegedly stabbed to death in 'drug deal gone wrong' at Croydon Park
A terrified neighbour has recalled the moment cops arrested a man after a father was allegedly stabbed to death in 'a drug deal gone horribly wrong'. A 32-year-old man was arrested by police following the incident on Kembla Street at Croydon Park, in Sydney 's Inner West, after 5pm on Monday. NSW Police described the scene as 'gruesome' and allege a man in his 50s was stabbed to death in a drug deal gone wrong. Police were called to the residence following a concern for welfare report. Superintendent Christine McDonald said the 32-year-old suspect was taken to Burwood Police Station where he was assisting cops with their inquiries. No charges have been laid. Superintendent McDonald confirmed police were 'treating this as a homicide'. 'This is a gruesome crime. The man's injuries are horrific,' Supt McDonald told reporters near the crime scene late on Monday. 'We believe this is a drug deal gone horribly wrong. 'We don't believe it to be domestic-related. We don't believe it to be gang-related.' She said it was not yet known if the victim and the detained man knew each other, or whether anyone else was in the house at the time of the alleged killing. A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday the dead man lived with his wife and children at the Croydon Park home for just a few months before the alleged attack. 'The neighborhood is feeling very unsettled. This is a really, really lovely quiet street,' she said. 'We do all know each other. Pretty much, we all know each other except for this particular house. 'They haven't lived here that long so we don't know much about them. 'We understand there was potentially two or three families living there because there's a really big granny flat in the background. There's multiple living areas there.' Neighbours told Daily Mail Australia the dead man lived with a wife and children at the Croydon Park home (pictured) for just a few months before the alleged attack The neighbour saw officers arrest a man in his 30s and did not believe he lived at the property. 'It was very confronting,' she said. Superintendent McDonald praised responding officers, who she said detained the suspect before he could leave the scene. 'When we arrived, the 32-year-old male who we now have in custody at Burwood police station was on scene,' she said. 'We didn't give him any time to run away. We were here too quick.'
ABC News
4 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Man arrested after body found with multiple stabs wounds in Sydney's inner west
A 32-year-old man has been arrested after a body was found with multiple stab wounds inside a home in Sydney's inner west, in what police believe may be a "drug deal gone horribly wrong". Emergency services went to a property at Croydon Park just after 5pm on Monday following reports of a concern for welfare. Police also attended, arriving "in minutes", and found the body of a man, believed to be in his 50s, inside the Kembla Street house. The man is yet to be identified. Police said the 32-year-old was arrested at the scene and taken to Burwood Police Station. Superintendent Christine McDonald said the incident was being treated as a homicide, and what unfolded at the house was "brutal". She was quick to point out that police did not believe it was domestic violence or gang-related. "This is a gruesome crime," Superintendent McDonald said. Superintendent McDonald emphasised the investigation was in its early stages and their working theory "may change". She added that at this stage it was unclear if the two men were known to each other or if the offender was known to police. "We're still piecing together who resides at this location, who attended this location this afternoon and for what reason. "And we'll work through that in the coming hours and days as this investigation progresses." In response to a question about the weapon used, she said: "We believe that it is still within the crime scene." Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
