Officer who arrested British teen 4,000 miles away from where she went missing shares 'what he found'
The senior customs officer who caught British teenager Bella May Culley has revealed what he allegedly discovered in her baggage as she was detained on drug offences.
Just 18-years-old, Culley was stopped at Tbilisi International Airport in Georgia this week after it was found she was carrying 34 hermetically sealed packages containing 12kg of cannabis and 2kg of hashish, which hold a mega street value of around £200,000.
The teen, from Billingham, County Durham, had flown out to the Philippines just after Easter for a holiday, and is believed to have travelled to Thailand around 3 May.
It remains unknown when or why she travelled to Georgia.
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As investigations continue, Culley is currently detained at the notorious women's prison Colony Number 5 and may face 20 years imprisonment if found guilty of the offences she stands accused of.
Now, officer Zurab Tatunashvili has described how his X-ray inspection of her belongings immediately drew attention.
"I was inspecting luggage using an X-ray scanner," he recalled, as per the MailOnline.
"One of the bags appeared suspicious based on its contents, so I marked it with a customs sticker, which indicates that it must undergo a physical inspection in the presence of the passenger in a specially designated room."
Prior to Culley's arrest becoming public knowledge, she'd seemingly gone missing during her travels, with her family having failed to hear from her for a number of days.
Her mother, Lyanne, told Teesside Live: "She was posting loads of pictures and then she went to Thailand on about May 3. The last message she sent was to me and that was on Saturday at 5.30pm saying she was going to FaceTime me later.
"That was the last message anyone has received from what we can figure out up to now. I'm just waiting on her dad who is now in Bangkok to get back with any more information. I just want her home and safe or to hear her gorgeous little voice."
Having touched down in Georgia yesterday (May 14), the youngster's father Neil and auntie Kerrie have been blocked from jail visitation. This is reportedly because the prison director is yet to sign some crucial paperwork.
The Culleys will attempt another visit tomorrow (May 16), it is understood.
Meanwhile, the suspected drug mule has been appointed a Georgian lawyer named la Todua, who revealed to Radio Free Europe that there's a mental health situation to navigate.
"The detainee says that she is pregnant. She needs special examination and attention," she said.
"In addition, in my assessment, she was depressed, confused and scared. When the accusation was presented, given that it was a foreign environment for her, it was her first time communicating with law enforcement officers, we agreed on such a position that she should exercise her right to remain silent in order to develop herself."
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) told LADbible Group: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who is detained in Georgia and are in contact with the local authorities."
Dan Seddon