Netflix star smuggles her way out of jail despite £150k cannabis bust (video)
In a sensational twist right out of a crime thriller, Netflix star Olga Bednarska incredibly escaped a long prison sentence despite being nabbed at Manchester Airport smuggling cannabis worth £150,000 (6.75 million baht) through customs.
The star of Netflix’s hit reality show Too Hot to Handle, found herself entangled in a scandalous drug-smuggling affair after Manchester Airport customs officers intercepted the 27 year old, as she returned from Thailand, and uncovered nearly 40 kilogrammes of cannabis stashed inside her luggage.
The glamorous jet-setter faced a turbulent descent from the glamorous heights of social media fame to the stark reality of the legal system, as she pleaded guilty to her role in the sinister scheme.
Bednarska initially spun an elaborate tale, claiming she’d been enlisted by a mysterious friend called “Tex” to transport designer clothes and luxury watches back to the UK. She assured police that every item in her luggage was personally packed. Yet, under the intense scrutiny of border officials, her story quickly unravelled.
In a courtroom drama laid bare by Samuel Eskdale, prosecuting, details emerged of Bednarska’s arrival at Manchester Airport from Phuket on October 20. Carrying two hefty suitcases, she was stopped by Border Force officers. During initial questioning, Bednarska confidently asserted that she had packed her bags herself and swore she was not a mule for anyone.
But when asked to unlock the suitcases, she faltered. She couldn’t recall the unlock codes. That’s when the true narrative emerged: these weren’t bags she packed herself, but ones handed to her at the airport. Inside were numerous vacuum-sealed packages of cannabis, weighing in at a staggering 39.4 kilogrammes, a haul valued at approximately £157,600.
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Despite this spectacular fall from grace, Bednarska appeared poised to avoid prison. With no prior convictions to her name and having already spent time in custody since her arrest in October, Judge John Potter offered her a lifeline, delivering a suspended sentence.
“I am not going to send you to prison—that means you will be released from custody.”
The sympathetic judge acknowledged her mounting financial troubles, detailing the £16,000 she owed in work, rent, and other expenses.
In an attempt to eradicate these debts, Bednarska had turned to “desperate but highly unlawful means.” Admitting she had agreed to transport what she believed to be designer goods on behalf of a friend’s acquaintance, she stood to earn £18,000 (810,000 baht).
Judge Potter emphasised the naivety of her choices: flying to Thailand on October 10, depositing herself into a scenario where she was met by an associate, pampered with complimentary hotel accommodation and handed spending cash to sweeten the deal.
“You decided to place your trust in someone you hardly knew. You were acting under the direction of others, potentially for further profit.”
Suspended sentence
The judge reminded Bednarska of the damaging repercussions her actions could have had on communities.
Bednarska, originally from Poland but residing in Newcastle, now faces 20 months of imprisonment suspended for two years, alongside 15 days of requirements for rehabilitation activities.
Though her role in season three of Netflix’s Too Hot to Handle shone a glamorous spotlight, this chapter of her life casts a stark shadow of caution over the intoxicating lure of risky endeavours.
Ironically, Manchester Airport has become a haven for drug smuggling activity.
A British dad of three has been sentenced to two years behind bars for an audacious attempt to smuggle nearly £100,000 (4.4 million baht) worth of cannabis from Thailand.
The 42 year old British man, gripped by grief and desperation after the death of his girlfriend, confessed he took the illicit gamble in hopes of using the cash to reunite with his estranged children.
Platt’s elaborate scheme unravelled upon landing at Manchester Airport, having flown in from a so-called holiday in Phuket. Enticed by the promise of £10,000 and a Thai getaway, his smuggling dreams ended when eagle-eyed Border Force officers intercepted him, recognising his hefty suitcase as a potential red flag.
Last week, a down-and-out drug mule took a gamble to clear a debt to his mother and lost big time at Manchester Airport.
Dean Pharoah, who owed cash to his mum, tried to smuggle over £200,000 (approximately 8 million baht) worth of cannabis into the UK after a holiday in Thailand. But UK Border Force officers had their suspicions and swooped as he passed through the Nothing to Declare channel, putting an end to his high-stakes plan.
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