.png)
5 hours ago
2
A British teen who was reported missing portion she was said to beryllium holidaying successful Thailand has been arrested 4,000 miles away.
Bella May Culley, 18, sparked a monolithic planetary hunt cognition this week arsenic she hadn't been successful interaction with her household since Saturday.
It has contiguous been revealed the teen, from Billingham, County Durham, has really been arrested connected cause offences 4,000 miles distant successful Georgia.
Culley was said to person been connected vacation with a person erstwhile she vanished.
Her telephone was said to person been turned disconnected and she was past thought to beryllium successful the Pattaya area, which is adjacent to Bangkok.
But now, Cleveland Police has said that authorities successful Georgia person confirmed that 'an 18-year-old pistillate from Billingham has been arrested determination connected suspicion of drugs offences and that she remains successful their custody.'
Footage shared by Georgian broadcasters appeared to amusement the 18-year-old miss being walked into the Central Criminal Police Department successful Tbilisi portion successful handcuffs.
Culley had allegedly being caught carrying 14kg of cannabis into the ex-Soviet federation aft she was flagged during a scanner cheque at Tbilisi International Airport.
Bella May Culley, 18, was reported missing portion she was said to person been connected vacation successful Thailand sparking a immense hunt to find her
Culley had been regularly posting connected societal media and past shared this representation to Facebook connected Monday, May 5
Culley was detained successful Tbilisi accused of carrying 14kg of cannabis into ex-Soviet republic Georgia
A section study said that during an inspection '34 hermetically sealed packages containing marijuana were recovered successful the passenger's bag, arsenic good arsenic 20 packages of hashish'.
Culley was reportedly charged with illegally purchasing and storing a peculiarly ample magnitude of narcotics, illegally purchasing and storing the narcotic cause marijuana, and illegally importing it into Georgia.
The country's Interior Ministry said: 'The committed transgression envisions up to 20 years - oregon beingness imprisonment.'
Local media reported that portion she requested bail, the justice overseeing the lawsuit decided to imprison her arsenic she posed a formation risk.
Questions stay arsenic to however precisely Culley ended up successful Georgia - and what her steps were successful the pb up.
The teenager's household said she archetypal flew retired to the Philippines conscionable after Easter this twelvemonth and flew to Thailand astir May 3. Culley had been regularly posting connected societal media and past shared a representation to Facebook connected Monday, May 5.
Her distraught household earlier appealed for assistance to hint her whereabouts, with constabulary successful Thailand progressive successful the search.
Culley, who has precocious finished a people astatine Middlesbrough College with the purpose of becoming a nurse, was successful regular interaction with her parent Lyanne Kennedy and was owed to talk with her connected Saturday.
Her begetter Neil Culley flew retired to Thailand with his sister Kerrie Culley to effort to get answers.
Culley's alleged offences person been covered by media successful Georgia
Questions stay arsenic to however precisely Culley ended up successful Georgia - and what her steps were successful the pb up
She could look 20 years jailhouse oregon adjacent beingness imprisonment, said the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs
'I conscionable privation her location and harmless oregon to perceive her gorgeous small voice', said Culley's mother
Lyanne antecedently told Teesside Live: 'She flew retired to the Philippines aft Easter with a person and she was determination for 3 weeks.
'She was posting loads of pictures and past she went to Thailand connected astir May 3.
'The past connection she sent was to maine and that was connected Saturday astatine 5.30pm saying she was going to Facetime maine later.
'That was the past connection anyone has received from what we tin fig retired up to now.
'I'm conscionable waiting connected her dada who is present successful Bangkok to get backmost with immoderate much information.
'I conscionable privation her location and harmless oregon to perceive her gorgeous small voice.'
Lyanne besides told the Sun that she had a atrocious feeling astir Culley's travel to Thailand, telling the newspaper: 'I truly didn't privation her to spell to Thailand. I begged her to travel home. I don't spot immoderate of the boys implicit there.
'But she wanted to conscionable up with immoderate friends she made implicit determination connected a erstwhile trip. I don't cognize who immoderate of them are.'
After Culley's begetter Neil arrived successful Bankkok, helium went consecutive to a constabulary station, wherever officers told him to interaction the country's migration bureau to fig retired wherever she was past staying.
Culley (pictured) said she had been travelling astir Thailand with a friend
Culley's parent Lyanne posted this entreaty connected Facebook for assistance to hint her whereabouts
The Interior Ministry said Culley was charged with illegally purchasing and storing a peculiarly ample magnitude of narcotics, illegally purchasing and storing the narcotic cause marijuana, and illegally importing it into Georgia
She is accused of bringing 'a peculiarly ample magnitude of narcotic drugs to Georgia'
Lyanne said: 'When she stopped answering messages I assumed it was due to the fact that she was flying backmost to astonishment me. But past nothing.'
The household antecedently got successful interaction with the airline, who revealed that Culley had made a petition for a summons but the outgo ne'er went through.
The distraught parent added: 'We deliberation she was past adjacent Pattaya, and was expected to alert backmost from Bangkok via Frankfurt according to the itinerary.'
'But I ne'er heard thing astir picking her up.'
English (US) ·