Jess Battison
Police have slammed the claims of a British teenager as they release CCTV images following the accusation she smuggled drugs.
Bella May Culley is currently detained in Georgia after she was arrested in May at Tbilisi International Airport with around 12kg of marijuana and hashish in her luggage.
The 19-year-old from Billingham, Teesside, had been travelling in Asia, with her family reporting her missing before it was revealed she was in the Eastern European country.
Appearing in court last week, the teen claimed she was ‘forced by torture’ to smuggle drugs out of Thailand. However, Thai immigration chiefs are fiercely denying these accusations.
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During the pre-trial hearing, Culley said she was coerced into transporting the drugs and added that ‘nobody paid attention’ when she attempted to ask for help from Thai customs officers.
However, authorities have now released CCTV images of the teen passing through the airport checks, as it’s said she didn’t display any kind of unusual behaviour.
Police Lieutenant General Choengrom Rimpadee said ‘there is absolutely no factual basis to her claims’.
He added: “There is no evidence whatsoever that any immigration or police officers forced or threatened the suspect to smuggle drugs out of the country."
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Khaosod English reports that immigration records say Culley left the country at 7am local time on 10 May and will now reportedly be registered as a ‘prohibited person’ by authorities in the Asian country.
"I didn't want to do this. I was forced by torture. I just wanted to travel. I study at the university… to become a nurse,” Culley told the Tbilisi City court.
“All I wanted to do was to travel and this happened to me. I'm clean - I had nothing in my blood test. I wanted to make my family proud. Thanks for listening."
She stood in front of the judge and showed her right wrist, which appeared to have a scar on it.
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Malkhaz Salakaia, who is representing the teen, claimed she had been threatened with a hot iron if she didn't travel with the case full of drugs.
"She was instructed to fly to Georgia - she did not even know where Georgia was located geographically,” he told the court.
He also added that Culley was 18 weeks pregnant.
A spokesperson for Georgia police says the arrest was the result of a joint operation between multiple departments and if the teen is found guilty, she could face up to 20 years in jail or life imprisonment.
A FCDO spokesperson told LADbible: "We are supporting a British woman who is detained in Georgia and are in contact with her family and the local authorities.”