A Scottish Championship footballer has been arrested in Gourock and is being questioned in Carlisle in connection with a drugs seizure at Stansted Airport.
Morton striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who previously played for Aberdeen and Livingston during his time in Scotland, was arrested on suspicion of ‘orchestrating the attempted importation of cannabis worth £600,000’ through the English airport.
He was detained around 8am on Wednesday morning in Gourouk in an operation that was supported by officers from Police Scotland.
The 33-year-old, who started his career at Arsenal, was then taken to England for questioning.
It follows the arrest of two women aged 28 and 32 at Stansted Airport on September 2 when Border Force officers detected 60 kilos worth of drugs in two suitcases which had arrived on a flight from Bangkok. They were charged and will appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on October 1.
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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.”
A statement from Morton said: "The club is aware of an ongoing matter relating to one of our first team players which has been publicised by various media outlets.
"The club is currently awaiting further information from the relevant bodies and due to the nature of the situation, we will be unable to make any comment beyond this statement at this time."
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