Latest news with #MalkhazSalakaia
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Pregnant British teenager appears in court in Georgia on drug smuggling charges
A pregnant British teenager facing serious drug smuggling charges in Georgia has told a judge: 'I never thought something like this would happen to me.' Bella Culley, 19, from Billingham, Teesside, has appeared in court in the capital Tbilisi where she is charged with importing cannabis in her luggage. If found guilty, she faces up to 20 years' or life imprisonment. She denies the charges and claims she was tortured in Thailand and forced to bring the drugs into Georgia when she flew into the country in May. The teenager's lawyer Malkhaz Salakaia said: 'The torture occurred before the transportation of the luggage, which she never touched. 'Specific individuals handled and checked in her luggage.' Speaking directly to the judge at the hearing on Thursday, Culley said: 'I never thought something like this would happen to me.' Culley is pregnant and her mother Lyanne Kennedy, who was present in court, burst into tears when she heard that the baby was a boy. The case was adjourned until September 2.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Pregnant British teenager appears in court in Georgia on drug smuggling charges
A pregnant British teenager facing serious drug smuggling charges in Georgia has told a judge: 'I never thought something like this would happen to me.' Bella Culley, 19, from Billingham, Teesside, has appeared in court in the capital Tbilisi where she is charged with importing cannabis in her luggage. If found guilty, she faces up to 20 years' or life imprisonment. She denies the charges and claims she was tortured in Thailand and forced to bring the drugs into Georgia when she flew into the country in May. The teenager's lawyer Malkhaz Salakaia said: 'The torture occurred before the transportation of the luggage, which she never touched. 'Specific individuals handled and checked in her luggage.' Speaking directly to the judge at the hearing on Thursday, Culley said: 'I never thought something like this would happen to me.' Culley is pregnant and her mother Lyanne Kennedy, who was present in court, burst into tears when she heard that the baby was a boy. The case was adjourned until September 2.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Associated Press
Georgian court rules to keep British teenager in custody over drug smuggling charges
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — A court in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi ruled Thursday to keep British teenager Bella May Culley in custody following her arrest in May on drug smuggling charges. Culley, 19, was arrested upon arrival at Tbilisi Airport and accused of attempting to smuggle 12 kilograms (26.4 pounds) of marijuana and 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of hashish into the country. If found guilty, she faces up to 20 years or life imprisonment. An investigation is ongoing to identify possible accomplices in the case, Georgia's Prosecutor's office said. The teenager pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying she was tortured in Thailand and forced to carry the drugs. Culley's lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, told reporters that she showed visible physical signs of torture upon her arrival in Georgia. 'The torture occurred took place before the transportation of the luggage, which she never touched. Specific individuals handled and checked in her luggage,' Salakaia said. Speaking in front of Tbilisi City Court, Culley asked the judge to see the case 'from her eyes.' 'I never thought something like this would happen to me,' Culley said. Her lawyer also confirmed the teenager, who is pregnant, was receiving medical care from the prison's medical team. Culley's mother, Lyanne Kennedy, attended the hearing in Tbilisi and broke into tears upon hearing her daughter was carrying a baby boy. Culley's next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 2.
The Sun
10-07-2025
- The Sun
Terrified Bella Culley's ‘silent cries for help' revealed as Brit mule ‘was WATCHED by drugs gang going through airport'
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. 10 10 10 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. 10 10 10 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. 10 10 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. Inside the dark world of Brit 'drug mules' A SLEW of drug mule arrests involving Brits have emerged in the last few months. In April and May, two Brit women were arrested abroad for alleged drug smuggling. Bella was the first after she allegedly tried to smuggle a suitcase of weed into Georgia. Meanwhile, former air stewardess Charlotte May Lee was also caught allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth £1.2million into Sri Lanka. Her two suitcases were said to have been stuffed with 46kg of a synthetic cannabis strain known as kush — which is 25 times more potent than opioid fentanyl. If found guilty, South Londoner Charlotte could face a 25-year sentence. As a young mum was detained in Germany for allegedly smuggling cannabis in her bags on a flight from Thailand - in yet another shocking case. Glamorous Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth, Herts, was detained at Munich Airport on April 21 as she tried to collect her luggage. It comes as a Brit couple claiming to be tourists from Thailand have been busted with more than 33kg of cannabis in their suitcases at a Spanish airport. The pair were picked out by suspicious cops at Valencia Airport after displaying a 'nervous and evasive attitude' and are now behind bars on drug trafficking charges. Experts told The Sun how wannabe Brit Insta stars are being lured by cruel gangs into carting drugs across the world. Then last month, a six-year-old British boy was arrested in Mauritius suspected of smuggling part of a £1.6million dope haul stuffed inside his wheelie case. The lad was picked up by customs officials along with his mum and five other Brits as they arrived on the tropical island. Authorities branded the use of a child in the audacious drug smuggling plot as 'inhumane".
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE British 'drug mule's' lawyer hits back at Thai police for trying to discredit her claim crooks forced her to smuggle narcotics into Georgia as they push for plea bargain
The lawyer for British drug mule suspect Bella Culley has hit back at Thai police who tried to rubbish claims she was coerced into trafficking £200,000 of cannabis. Malkhaz Salakaia said CCTV released this week showing the pregnant teenager calmly passing through checks in Bangkok Airport proved nothing. It comes after her trial was postponed immediately after it began due to issues concerning evidence. Police Major General Cherngron Rimphadee shared the images and said Bella 'left without giving any signal or indication that she needed help, contrary to her claims.' He said: '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. But Mr Salakaia insisted his client 'tried to signal' to authorities 'without being noticed' by gang members watching over her before she boarded a flight. 'I fail to see how that's substantial,' he said of the images. '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.' Bella has claimed that she was ' forced under torture' to smuggle the drugs from Thailand to Georgia after being shown decapitation videos by a British gang in Bangkok. She also said she was burned with an iron and the lives of her families were threatened. The Teesside teenager said she approached Thai police on the streets of Bangkok and asked for help, but they returned her to the gang. Again in the airport she tried to signal to officers to get help, but was ignored. Mr Salakaia spoke after the 19-year-old's latest court hearing in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, where he is pushing to reach a plea deal that could see her returned to Britain. Bella was stopped at Tbilisi Airport and found with 446g of tetraphenol cannabinol and 11.2kg of cannabis on May 10. If convicted she could face up to 20 years in jail. Mr Salakaia said: '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 an agreement yet. Our position is the release of my client and paying a fine. We'll see where we end up after negotiations.' Bella appeared visibly pregnant as she entered Tbilisi City Court dressed in a pink shirt, black trousers and with her hair in a bun. Her father Niel Culley, 49, had travelled for the hearing and told his daughter to 'stay strong'. Asked if she would like to plead guilty, not guilty, or exercise her right to silence, Bella glanced at her lawyer and whispered: 'Yes?' Mr Salakaia shook his head, and Bella chose to remain silent. Both sides agreed to continue negotiating terms for a potential plea bargain and a further hearing was scheduled for July 24 where a trial date is expected.
