Terrified Bella Culley's ‘silent cries for help' revealed as Brit mule ‘was WATCHED by drugs gang going through airport'
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
DRUG "mule" Bella Culley's silent cries for help have been revealed as she "was watched" by a drugs gang going through the airport, her lawyer has claimed.
Bella, 19, was told yesterday that her trial on drug smuggling charges has been postponed amid talks over a possible 'plea bargain' deal.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
11
Thai police have now released CCTV footage of the Brit going through the automated gates at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand
Credit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress
11
On Bella's first court appearance she announced she was pregnant
11
Police confirmed she used a British passport to exit Thailand
Credit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress
11
Bella Culley seen in court at the beginning of July as her devastated family watched on
Credit: Supplied
11
The teenager appeared at Tbilisi City Court on Thursday after claiming she had been burned with a hot iron and shown a beheading video by a Thailand-based gang.
Bella was arrested on arrival at the airport at Georgian capital Tbilisi in May with £200,000 worth of cannabis in her hold baggage.
But she has since claimed the bag was checked in by a gang member and she never saw it before Georgian police stopped her at customs.
Bella's attempt to escape a jail term has been complicated by the release of Thai CCTV footage said to contradict her claims that she tried to alert cops at Bangkok airport.
The next hearing was yesterday put back to July 24 while prosecutors and Bella's Georgian lawyer Malkhaz Salakaia attempt to strike a deal.
He told The Sun how cops missed her silent cries for help.
Mr Salakaia said: "I fail to see how that's substantial. Of course they are going to say that.
'What hasn't been said or shown is the fact that the people who brought and handed in this baggage were still nearby and she couldn't communicate openly.
'She tried to signal it to them, without being noticed herself, that it wasn't her baggage but wasn't paid any attention."
Trainee nurse Bella, from Billingham, Teesside - who got pregnant on the Far East backpacking trip where she met British gang members - faces a life jail term.
Brit thugs forced 'drug mule' Bella May Culley to watch man be beheaded…and told her 'we'll do that to you', lawyer says
The teenager - in a pink t-shirt showing her baby bump - was again supported in court on Thursday by her oil rig worker father Niel, 39, who urged her to 'stay strong' as she fought to stay composed.
The next hearing was put back to July 24 while prosecutors and Bella's lawyer Salakaia attempt to strike a deal.
Mr Salakaia told The Sun: "The sides have entered the phase of negotiation over the plea bargain, to see whether this could be an eventual option.
'We haven't reached agreement yet. Our position is the release of my client and paying the fine. We ll see where we end up after negotiations".
Bella has been held for 61 days at Tbilisi's Number Five Women's Penitentiary accused of importing 31lbs of cannabis and hashish.
She flew from Bangkok via Sharjah in Abu Dhabi on May 10 and her lawyer revealed she was unsure where she was when she was arrested.
A Georgian police spokesman confirmed that, if found guilty, she could face between 20 years in jail and a life term.
Bella claimed baggage containing the cannabis was carried to the airport for her and put in the plane's hold when she boarded a flight from Bangkok in May.
11
Cops said cannabis was found wrapped in air-tight bags in Bella's luggage
Credit: Unpixs
11
The Brit told a court she was tortured into trafficking £200,000-worth of cannabis by evil crimelords
Credit: Facebook
11
She was caught at Tblisi International Airport with 30 pounds of marijuana and hashish in her luggage on May 10
Credit: Prime Time
Her family launched a missing person hunt in Thailand after she vanished on holiday but she turned up under arrest 4,000 miles away in the European nation.
Then on her first court appearance she announced she was pregnant.
CCTV footage of Bella was released, which cops say rubbishes her claim she was coerced into transporting the £200,000 drug stash.
Police Major General Cherngron Rimphadee said a few weeks ago: 'This matter is not complicated.
'Police have reviewed CCTV footage and confirmed that she used a British passport to exit through the automatic passport control channel.
'As a result, she did not interact with or speak to any immigration officers and simply exited the country.'
Thai authorities say Bella's claims of seeking help from customs staff are "absolutely baseless".
Surveillance shows the teen, from Billingham, Teesside, apparently passing calmly through Suvarnabhumi Airport's automated gates without raising any red flags.
'There is no evidence whatsoever that any immigration or police officers forced or threatened the suspect to smuggle drugs out of the country,' Lt. Gen. Choengron said.
'It was a deliberate departure.'
The footage had reportedly been shared with media outlets in an attempt to debunk Bella's courtroom testimony in Tblisi, where she claimed she "didn't want to do this" and was allegedly forced under torture.
Bella's lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, claimed corrupt Thai police officers were in on the trafficking ring and that when Bella turned to one for help, she realised he was part of the gang.
11
Cannabis was found wrapped in air-tight bags in Bella's luggage, police said
11
Bella May Culley claims she was coerced into transporting £200k worth of cannabis
Credit: NCJ
11
Bella has said she never touched the drugs found in her suitcase
Credit: Facebook
Salakaia alleged she and her family were threatened with beheading if she didn't comply.
He went on to claim that "They told her: we know the addresses of your parents, we know where your 16-year-old brother is", before showing her a video of a person being beheaded.
The court was also shown a scar on her arm which Salakaia said was inflicted before the suitcase containing the drugs - which she allegedly never touched - was given to her.
But Thai police say it's all an attempt to wriggle out of punishment.
Officials believe the teen's high-stakes tale is part of a strategy to secure a lighter sentence in Georgia.
The Georgian prosecution has charged her with "illegally purchasing and storing a particularly large amount of narcotics" and "illegally importing them into the country".
Thai cops said she would now be blacklisted for entering the country "to commit a drug offence", citing a breach of Section 12 of the Immigration Act.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
a few seconds ago
- The Guardian
Thailand recalls Cambodia ambassador after landmine injures soldier on border
Thailand has recalled its ambassador to Cambodia and will expel Cambodia's ambassador, the ruling Pheu Thai party said on Wednesday following a landmine incident that injured a Thai soldier along the disputed border between the two countries. The Thai foreign ministry has lodged a formal protest with Cambodia, saying the landmines found in the area were newly deployed and had not been encountered during previous patrols, the party said on social media. Thailand has downgraded diplomatic relations with Cambodia, it said. Cambodia's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Its government spokesperson referred Reuters to the foreign ministry. Thailand's foreign ministry said it had yet to be informed of the decision to recall the Thai envoy and the plan to expel Cambodia's ambassador. The government has also ordered the closure of all border checkpoints under the jurisdiction of Thailand's Second Army, the Pheu Thai party said. 'Tourists are strictly prohibited from entering these border areas,' it said. In the landmine incident on Wednesday, the soldier sustained injuries and lost his right leg, the party said. Earlier, Thailand accused Cambodia of placing landmines on the Thai side of the disputed border area after three soldiers were injured, but Phnom Penh denied the claim and said the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and triggered a mine left behind from decades of war. Thai authorities said the soldiers were injured, with one losing a foot, by a landmine while on a patrol on 16 July on the Thai side of the disputed border area between Ubon Ratchathani and Cambodia's Preah Vihear province. Cambodia's foreign ministry denied that new mines had been planted, and said in a statement on Monday night that the Thai soldiers deviated from agreed patrol routes into Cambodian territory and into areas that contain unexploded landmines. The country is littered with landmines laid during decades of war.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
M&S handed mobile ad ban after using 'unhealthily thin' model
An advert by Marks & Spencer has been banned because of the model's appearance (Image: PA) A Marks and Spencer advert has been banned after the featured model was judged to be "unhealthily thin". The UK's advertising watchdog has ruled that it was "irresponsible" for M&S to use the image in question to promote its clothing on its mobile app. The Advertising Standards Authority criticised the ad, stating that the model, dressed in slim-fit trousers and a white top, "appeared thin and she wore large pointed shoes which emphasised the slenderness of her legs". The ASA's decision also noted that the camera angles made the model's head seem disproportionate and "highlighted her small frame". The ASA concluded: "Therefore, we considered that the pose of the model and the choice of clothing meant the ad gave the impression that the model was unhealthily thin". The company is still recovering from a damaging cyber attack (Image: PA) In response to the ban, Marks and Spencer expressed regret for any upset caused and promptly withdrew the image. A spokesperson for the company commented: "Our womenswear sizing ranges from size 8 to 24 and we always want to reflect that in our advertising." They continued: "The product images on our website feature models of varying sizes so we can appeal to all our customers, however following the ASA guidance, we have removed this particular image from our website and apologise for any offence caused." While three additional images were brought to the attention of the ASA by concerned consumers, the authority did not find these to be in violation, thus no further action against the retailer was taken. It comes as four people have been arrested by police investigating the M&S, Co-op and Harrods cyber attacks. The arrests include three teenagers - a 17-year-old British man from the West Midlands, a 19-year-old Latvian man from the West Midlands, a 19-year-old British man from London - and a 20-year-old British woman from Staffordshire. The individuals were detained on suspicion of blackmail, money laundering, offences linked to the Computer Misuse Act and participating in the activities of an organised crime group. All four people remain in custody. Paul Foster, head of the NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit, said: 'Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA cybercrime investigators have been working at pace and the investigation remains one of the agency's highest priorities. 'Today's arrests are a significant step in that investigation but our work continues, alongside partners in the UK and overseas, to ensure those responsible are identified and brought to justice.' M&S was forced to shut down its online store following the cyber attack, which happened during Easter weekend and affected contactless payments in stores, as well as click and collect orders. It was later confirmed that customer data, including names, email addresses, addresses and dates of birth - but it does not include card or payment details, was stolen. The boss of M&S last week issued an update, and said the rest of its online operations will reopen by next month. The supermarket started resuming online orders in June but some services are still not back to normal. For example, you still cannot place an order for click and collect or next day delivery. M&S is also still is not delivering to Northern Ireland. Stuart Machin, CEO of M&S, expects these services to be fully restored from August. Speaking to shareholders at the retailer's annual general meeting, he said: "Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA cybercrime investigators have been working at pace and the investigation remains one of the Agency's highest priorities.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Prince Andrew 'should be fearful' as Ghislaine Maxwell agrees chat with Trump officials
Jailed British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has agreed to speak with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in what sources say is a bid by Donald Trump to recover control of the scandal. Prince Andrew has been told he should be 'extremely fearful' as Ghislaine Maxwell has agreed to meet with Donald Trump's top legal officials. The disgraced British socialite has agreed to speak with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche about Jeffrey Epstein in a meet-up behind bars. Sources say it is a desperate bid by the US president to recover control of the spiralling scandal. The move has led famed US attorney Alan Dershowitz to believe the meeting could lead to Maxwell's release. As reported in the Mirror, he said: 'She's going to make a deal. That's the way things are done. They make deals with the mafia, so I'm certain they are going to try to make a deal with her.' A separate legal expert explained that a meeting with Blanche also presents an opportunity for Maxwell to potentially lessen her sentence. It would be in exchange for spilling secrets about her and Epstein's life - which she has closely guarded since his death. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year term for sex trafficking underage girls for her late husband. She is the only person to be convicted in the case. The meeting, due to take place within days at Maxwell's Florida prison, marks a dramatic turning point in the case. For years, Maxwell, who is currently being held in a Florida prison, has refused to cooperate with authorities. But with 12 years left of her sentence behind bars, she is prepared to talk. Her knowledge will send shockwaves through the elite inner circle that once surrounded Epstein before his jail cell suicide in 2019. Many believe Maxwell, 63, could offer explosive details in exchange for a commuted sentence. One victim believes Prince Andrew is 'close to the top of the list' of those whom Maxwell has the most information on. She said: 'She had a front-row seat to the Duke's relationship with Jeffrey. If Ghislaine thinks her old pal Donald Trump might give her a pardon or commute her sentence, she could now very well talk. For someone who refused to the FBI when asked, Prince Andrew should be extremely fearful of that. Given her knowledge of his friendship with Jeffrey, he must be close to the top of the list of men who should now be anxious.' The victim made clear she did not believe there would be any more allegations made against Andrew, saying all claims against him 'had already been heard.' However, she added: 'It is not about allegations; I think they have been exhausted. It's about the details of the friendship. Questions like how they met, how often they met, and where they met? Ghislaine was there for all of them. She has such information. 'And of course, it's not just Andrew she has knowledge of, it's the countless others, too. She knows everyone in Epstein's circle. If she were to start talking, Trump would think nothing of throwing some of them under the bus in order to save himself.' Andrew infamously refused to speak to the FBI. In 2020, when he was the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman made the extremely rare decision to blast the Duke publicly. Berman claimed that despite public statements to the contrary, the royal had "repeatedly declined" requests to schedule an interview. Andrew's legal team denied his claims, insisting that the Duke offered to assist authorities on at least three occasions. The DoJ's meeting with Maxwell comes just weeks after the Department of Justice announced it would not release any Epstein files - a move that has sparked outrage among survivors. In 2019, Virginia Giuffre, a former 'teen sex slave' of Epstein's, accused the royal of sexually abusing her on three occasions when she was 17 - claims he vehemently denied. Facing a civil lawsuit in New York, Andrew opted to settle out of court in early 2022, reportedly paying Giuffre £12 million. He issued no apology and continued to protest his innocence, insisting he had no memory of ever meeting her despite the now-infamous photo of them together with Maxwell grinning in the background. Legal experts warn that Maxwell should she provide prosecutors with credible evidence, even those who once believed themselves untouchable, including royalty, could find themselves under fresh scrutiny. Another victim said: 'She has nothing left to lose, and everything to gain. If she speaks, it could blow the lid off a cover-up that's lasted for decades.'
