UK teen faces possible life sentence for cannabis smuggling
Bella Culley could be charged with life imprisonment if found guilty
A missing UK teen feared lost in Thailand has turned up 4,000 miles away—in handcuffs, facing a possible life sentence for allegedly smuggling cannabis into Georgia.
Bella Culley, 18, from Billingham, County Durham, was reported missing on Tuesday, May 13, after family members lost contact with her during what they believed was a solo trip through Thailand. She had previously been in the Philippines before arriving in Thailand on May 3.
But in a dramatic twist, Bella was located not in Southeast Asia, but at Tbilisi International Airport, Georgia. According to BBC News, she was arrested carrying 12kg of marijuana and 2kg of hashish, and has been formally charged with illegally buying, possessing, and importing large quantities of narcotics.
The charges, issued by the Georgian interior ministry, carry a potential sentence of 20 years to life imprisonment. She is currently being held at Prison No.5, Georgia’s only women’s correctional facility, and has been placed in pre-trial detention until July 1.
In a court appearance, Culley, who is reportedly pregnant, appeared shaken and disoriented. Her state-appointed lawyer, Ia Todua, said:
“This was her first time in court, and she was terrified and confused, kind of lost. Because of that, we decided to exercise the right to remain silent. In a few days, after we’ve had consultations and discussions, we’ll decide whether and how to adjust this position.”
Todua added, “They said that they had to conduct a lot of investigative activities, so that they could collect evidence, establish where it was from [the narcotics] and whether she was planning to hand it over to someone. They also confiscated her phone.”
Private legal teams, both British and Georgian, are expected to be involved as the case progresses. Meanwhile, Bella’s parents, Neil and Kerry Culley, have flown to Georgia but have not been able to see their daughter due to “paperwork issues”, report Daily Mail UK and UNILAD.
The UK Foreign Office has issued a brief statement saying it is “supporting the family of a British woman who is detained in Georgia.”
With prosecutors requesting two months to gather evidence, Culley now faces the fight of her life—in more ways than one.
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