A professional footballer has denied involvement in a plot to smuggle £600,000 worth of drugs from Thailand into the UK.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, 33, is alleged to be linked to the discovery of 60kg (9.44st) of cannabis at London Stansted Airport, Essex, on 2 September.

Rosie Rowland, 28, and Yasmin Piotrowska, 33, also denied importing the Class B drug between 1 July and 2 September, during a hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court.

The defendants would stand trial for up to seven days in May, Judge Christopher Morgan said.

Mr Emmanuel-Thomas, a former Aberdeen, Queens Park Rangers and Arsenal striker, appeared at court via video link from HMP Durham.

He also played for Ipswich Town between 2011 and 2013 and later featured for Thai-based team PTT Rayong in 2019.

The footballer was sacked by the Scottish side, Greenock Morton FC, after being arrested at his home in Cardwell Road, Gourock near Glasgow, on 18 September.

It followed a joint investigation by Police Scotland and the National Crime Agency.

Ms Piotrowska, of Purves Road, north-west London, wept in the dock as she had the charge read to her alongside Ms Rowland, of Southend Road, Chelmsford.

They were also arrested following the drugs discovery, a previous hearing was told.

It was alleged they landed at Stansted having travelled in business class from Bangkok via Dubai.

A total of four suitcases were said to have been seized, with the vacuum-packed cannabis spread between them.

Judge Morgan remanded Mr Emmanuel-Thomas in custody and bailed Ms Rowland and Ms Piotrowska until a hearing on 6 January 2025.

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