Footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was told he had ‘thrown it all away’ as he was jailed for four years for trying to smuggle £600,000 of cannabis from Thailand.

The 34-year-old striker was arrested after officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) seized the haul as it was being taken through Stansted Airport.

He had recruited his girlfriend and her pal to bring the drugs, which they thought was gold. Both women were cleared of importing the drugs at a previous hearing.

Former Arsenal academy product Emmanuel-Thomas pleaded guilty to importing cannabis between July 1 and September 2 last year.

The footballer, whose former clubs include Ipswich, Bristol City, QPR, Livingston, Aberdeen and Thai side PTT Rayong, was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court.

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