Six clues 'smuggling teen' left before going missing and mystery man riddle
An 18-year-old from County Durham has found herself at the centre of a media storm after allegedly attempting to smuggle over 14kg of cannabis and hashish. Bella May Culley was apprehended at the airport in Tbilisi, Georgia, after police allegedly discovered drugs in her luggage and arrested her on suspicion of drug offences.
A British Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed that Ms Culley had been detained and that they were supporting the teenager's family, who have rubbished any notion that she is a drug trafficker. Prior to her arrest, the nursing student's TikTok activity, where she flaunted a lavish lifestyle and wads of cash, rang alarm bells before her disappearance from Thailand. Social media sleuths have been quick to unearth some of her videos while travelling across Thailand and Asia.
Here we take a look at six notable clues that preceded her arrest, with her family in the UK initially reporting her as missing after failing to hear from the teen for several days. If found guilty, Bella could face life imprisonment, thousands of miles away from her family.
'Bonnie and Clyde' references
Bella likened herself to Bonnie from the infamous criminal duo Bonnie and Clyde, posting about engaging in "criminal activities side by side" and "making heavy figures." In one video, she posted a clip of herself alongside the caption: "Blonde or brunette? Erm how about we get up to criminal activities side by side like Bonnie n Clyde making heavy figures and f****** on balconies all over the world."
Another video is captioned: "Don't care if we on the run baby as long as I'm next to u." But Bella's male companion's face never appears in the posts and he is never tagged. Family members have claimed she met a group of young men from the north west of England in Thailand before she was reported missing on Saturday.
Displaying large sums of cash
In other TikTok videos, Bella showcased stacks of £10 and £20 notes, bound together with a hairband. Those who viewed the videos questioned where the stash had come from.
Georgian police claim she was caught with 34 bags of weed, totalling around 14 kilos of the banned substance. In a video displaying the cash, she captioned the video, "But nothing hurts when I'm with you," alongside money bag emojis.
Smoking cannabis on camera
Bella was also seen smoking what appeared to be cannabis while riding in the back of a car. She appeared in court on Wednesday after being detained at the city's airport on suspicion of hiding 34 bags of cannabis in her luggage.
Airport staff had stopped her on the way in and allegedly found the cannabis in her luggage. The aspiring nurse could face 20 years in an overcrowded former Soviet prison or even a life sentence, the country's Interior Ministry said.
Taking the stand on Wednesday, she told the court she was pregnant before adding she would reserve the right to remain silent. She is said to be "confused and terrified".
Association with a man named 'Russ'
Bella mentioned meeting a man named"Russ" or "Ross" during her travels in the Philippines. This individual remains unidentified, but authorities are investigating his potential connection to Bella's subsequent activities
The backpacker's social media went on to show her clearly in the company of a male stranger - but he was never clearly pictured or named. Her grandad William Culley, 80, revealed that she appears to have spent most of March in Thailand but also spent time in the Philippines with a man called "Ross or Russ", adding: "She's got sucked into something, somehow."
Video clips and snaps show the bubbly student holding onto a man as she rides pillion on a scooter and another shows her smoking a cannabis spliff.
Sudden disappearance
While traveling in Thailand, Bella ceased communication with her family, prompting them to report her missing on Saturday. Her unexpected silence raised concerns about her wellbeing initially.
Bella's father Niel - who lives in Vietnam but searched for her in Thailand after she vanished - has flown to Tbilisi but his attempts to see her in jail were blocked by red tape on Wednesday. He had hoped for an emotional heart-to-heart at the grim No5 Women's Penitentiary on the outskirts of the city but was told essential paperwork had not been signed.
Mr Culley, 49, arrived in Georgian capital Tbilisi seeking answers as family members told how he was suffering " every parent's worst nightmare." He was being supported by his sister, Kellie Culley while Bella's mum Lyanne Kennedy - who is estranged from Niel - awaited news in the UK.
Social media posts
Bella's TikTok content included references to drug culture and dealing, with captions and imagery that suggested involvement in illicit activities. These posts have become a focal point for authorities in understanding the events leading up to her arrest.
Bella's social media activity, particularly on TikTok, provides a complex picture of her life leading up to her arrest. As investigations continue, these digital footprints may offer insights into the circumstances surrounding her case.
Out in Asia, evidence of her lavish lifestyle continued with videos of Bella partying, lounging on beaches, scuba diving and smoking in the back of a cars. Her mum previously said that Bella "doesn't like the party lifestyle", so it was even more of a shock to hear she was accused of a major drug smuggling operation.
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Glasgow Times
11 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Teen who planned mosque mass murder jailed at Glasgow court
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READ MORE: Man accused of murdering partner has no lawyer, court hears The court heard how the boy, who suffers from autism, had been influenced by what he read online from the age of 13. He believed that white people were in a "war" against other races, such as Jews, and he "developed sympathies" with the Nazi party. The boy created his own "manifesto" on his mobile phone in which he said he would "die for my land." He listed a number of "inspirations" which included Brevik, Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Irish fascist leader Eion O'Duffy. The boy also created a list of dislikes, which included Keir Starmer, the Prophet Mohammed and Jihadi John. The boy initially had plans to carry out a terrorist attack at his school in Inverclyde. He recorded himself walking through the school, in which he stated he planned to "liquidate" one of the offices. The boy also claimed that he would plant bombs under the tables of the school canteen. 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A search of his home recovered a copy of Hitler's book Mein Kampf, a copy of the Quran, knives, airsoft weapons and ingredients for explosive substances. A book, named 'The Anarchist Cookbook' was also found, which was an instruction manual on how to produce weapons and explosives. It emerged today that the teenager "continues to describe himself as a Nazi". READ MORE: Man who 'preyed on vulnerable people' found guilty of series of crimes The court heard that the teen was "socially isolated" and had formed his entrenched views from what he had seen and heard online. Tony Lenehan KC, defending, today said this eventually led to him "trying to make himself significant". The advocate added, "The transition for anyone into adulthood is complicated and confusing enough with the benefit of positive role models. "He did not have a stable home life - this no doubt contributed to his sense of isolation and allowed these internet voices to play a more important part in his development than they should."
New Statesman
an hour ago
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His sentence was later reduced to four years and he was released on remand on 14 August. (A post on X by JSO declared on the day 'Breaking news: ROGER IS FREE!') This interview with the New Statesman is his first since leaving HMP Wayland – we spoke five days after his release. 'I've been to prison quite a few times since I was 19,' he told me, 'I went three times when I was in the peace movement as a teenager. It was quite different then. But I have been three or four times since.' The year Hallam has just spent inside was his longest period of incarceration. 'I'm sort of used to it,' he said. Hallam, 59, is tall and slim, with a short grey low ponytail. He seemed tired when I met him, dressed casually in a green checked shirt, shorts and trainers. An electronic ankle tag was wrapped around his left foot. On the bus to meet Hallam, I listened to his 2023 appearance on Nick Robinson's podcast Political Thinking. 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'I am in service to the Corbyn-Sultana project,' he told me, 'I have been part of an informal network of people who have been on the edge of that for a year or so.' To Hallam, who has provided the organisational brains of some of the largest acts of civil disobedience in the UK in the past decade, the creation of Your Party is enormously significant. He writes in his book: 'Let me make a claim. I think that the Corbyn and Sultana announcement on creating a new movement/party is the biggest moment of our lifetimes. I need to be more clear. I think it can lead to a global political revolution.' This is bigger than XR, bigger than the poll tax riots, Hallam writes. Bigger – even – than the international student uprisings of 1968. 'It's a massive rupture of momentum in the political space,' Hallam told me, excitedly leaning forward from his perch on the sofa. 'Just because it hasn't flowered yet, doesn't mean it isn't going to. There's an 80 per cent chance it's going to be the biggest political story of the year'. In the four weeks since Corbyn and Sultana officially announced the founding of Your Party; 800,000 people have signed up to its website. Though these are not membership figures Hallam believes the speed and scale of interest is significant – and something to work with. 'You put those things together, and I'll go and do the maths, and I'll turn you into the largest political party.' If Sultana and Corbyn follow his plan of action – Hallam argues they could win 20 per cent at the 2029 election – or more specifically, 12 million votes. (This ambition was first made public by Sultana, who told a Zoom call of trade unionists last month that Your Party should be aiming for between 20-25 per cent of the vote). 'If you want a left party to get 10 per cent of the vote, you've already got it. It's going to get you 30 seats. Who gives a fuck? All you're going to do is let in Reform,' he said. Hallam continues to think deeply about mass public organising. He is something of an expert in the field: XR's last protest 'The Big One' saw 100,000 people descend on central London. His ideas are practical and strategic – diverging slightly from some of the other thinking currently being made public around how Your Party might function and operate. Grasping the Enormity of the Moment was in part a response to James Schneider's interview in the New Left Review. 'As soon as the left starts talking conventionally, they're talking about something which is not precise,' he said, 'so you know we can say 'oh, we need community involvement', but you're not actually dealing with it socially, scientifically.' In practical terms, this means a form of community organising bordering on events management. XR made heavy use of citizens assemblies – a form of deliberative democracy in which a random yet representative group of people are brought together to discuss an issue. Hallam points out that it is good that figures in and around Your Party have said that citizens assemblies will be used. But without a clear structure for how they will work, they risk becoming performative gestures. These events must be meticulously stage managed in order to achieve true and widespread reach. 'When Mrs Jones from the Wirral comes to that assembly, she needs to be met in 15 seconds with someone shaking her hand and letting her know she is valued,' Hallam told me. 'She needs a cup of coffee and then she needs to talk to other people. If you do a really good assembly, 50 per cent of those people will go door knocking for you,' he said. 'And if you put that through a spreadsheet, you've got like 20,000 door knockers in 15 weeks. They've shown in New York [with Zohran Mamdani] that that basically wins the election.' He adds: 'the stuff about policy and leadership… you want to tend to it, but that's not the real show. For the new left project, the real show is making organisational design sexy.' This is his biggest critique of Keir Starmer, his inability – as Hallam characterises it – to understand human and social interactions. 'Neoliberalism offers nothing,' he said. 'That is why Starmer is such a disaster. Because he just treats everyone as a machine.' Hallam added: 'We're not functions of ideology. We're emotional beings. And if you want to get the best out of people, you need to attend to their emotionality.' This, he points out, is how to tackle the persistent issue of small boat crossings. 'You might have a problem with the boats, but it doesn't go deep. You put them into an assembly, and they'll go, 'Oh yeah. Well, obviously it's a problem with the rich and we should tax the rich,'' he said. Hallam's time in prison has not deprived him of his characteristic doomsday urgency ('Climate is basically Hitler'). He believes that the world will hit 2 degrees of warming – smashing past the UN's 1.5-degree target – in the next ten years. He blames the fact that tackling emissions has fallen to the bottom of the global priority list as the consequence of 'extreme social repression'. Surprisingly, while he is clearly worried by recent developments in the government's approach to protest – he accuses 'the Labour party [of] putting people in prison', for example – he is clearly more concerned by what he perceives as a capitalistic power relationship within society that prevents collective action ('You've got to get a job etc'). The turning point, he told me, will come when there is a climate disaster closer to home. 'As an example, when 2,000 people die in a flood in Spain – you will likely get 2 million people [protesting] in London,' he said. There is a streak of evangelical Christianity in Hallam's ideas, and his approach to community organising. Mark 10:45 says Jesus came to 'serve not to be served'. And Hallam repeats the notion that those involved in grassroots movements – whether that be XR, JSO or even the new left party – are in service. Their participation must not be driven for selfish gain, but rather to advance the resilience and prospects of others. Hallam was brought up in a Methodist household, and he points to the success of the Methodist movement in giving structure to the working class during the late 1700s when '25 per cent of London was pissed at any one point' as a good example of successful community organising. When I ask him how much an influence faith has had on him, he pauses. 'That's what socialism is. It's secularised Christianity… We need a new language, which is participatory but ethical'. The person whom Hallam thinks embodies this most readily in the current political moment is Corbyn. 'That's basically what Corbyn represents, right? Everybody knows he's not an intellectual genius. He's not a strategic Napoleon. He is a fundamentally decent bloke,' Hallam said, 'and that's what it's got to be based on… That means we need to be humble, and we need to be in service.' For now, Hallam is keeping his head down, quietly organising a network of community groups and activists ready to mobilise as soon as Your Party gets off the ground. Corbyn and Sultana need only say the word, and Roger Hallam will be at their service. [See also: My advice to Jeremy Corbyn] Related
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Hitler-inspired teen who planned mass murder at Inverclyde mosque jailed
Sentencing, Lord Arthurson: "What you had in mind can properly be categorised as a quite diabolical atrocity involving extreme violence and multiple deaths." A right-wing teenager who wanted to carry out and livestream a mass murder at a mosque has been locked up for 10 years. The 17-year-old boy had been 'radicalised' by what he had viewed on social media channels - including TikTok - going on to idolise killers such as neo-Nazi murderer Anders Brevik who slaughtered 77 people in Norway in 2011. The youngster spoke online about how white people were at "war" and that he would "die for my land." The boy had planned an attack at the Inverclyde Muslim Centre which included duping the Imam into believing that he wanted to join. He effectively carried out a recce of the building having been trusted enough to be left alone at times allowing him to make sketches and videos of the layout. The teenager also went as far as to join in with prayers in a bid to convince others of his bid to convert to being a Muslim. But, fortunately, his sick plans were halted when police discovered the boy armed and potentially dangerous outside the centre. This included an airgun which he claimed would keep worshippers inside once he had set the building on fire. The boy - who cannot be named due to his age - was today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow. The teenager had pled guilty last month to acting with the intention of committing acts of terrorism. He also admitted to a further charge under the Terrorism Act. They spanned between November 2024 and January 2025. Sentencing, Lord Arthurson: "What you had in mind can properly be categorised as a quite diabolical atrocity involving extreme violence and multiple deaths. "You even requested that your attack be live-streamed. your conduct was only stopped by your arrest when you were, quite literally, at the door of the centre." The judge cut the term from 17 years due to factors such as the early guilty and the boy's age. The teenager will also be monitored for eight years on his eventual release. ` The court heard how the boy - who suffers from autism - had been influenced by what he read online from the age of 13. He believed that white people were in a "war" against other races such as Jews and he "developed sympathies" with the Nazi party. The boy created his own "manifesto" on his mobile phone in which he said he would "die for my land." He listed a number of "inspirations" which included Brevik, Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Irish fascist leader Eion O'Duffy. The boy also created a list of dislikes which included Keir Starmer, the prophet Mohammed and Jihadi John. The boy initially had plans to carry out a terrorist attac k at his school in Inverclyde. He recorded himself walking through the school in which he stated he planned to "liquidate" one of the offices. The boy also claimed that he would plant bombs under the tables of the school canteen. He said: "That'll be funny, watch some reactions, that'll be hilarious." The boy planned to attack the Inverclyde Muslim Centre in December 2024. Prosecutor Greg Farrell said: "This involved the use of aerosols and lighters to set fire to the premises." The boy spoke to the centre's Imam online and was later provided with reading materials. Mr Farrell added: "The boy went as far as to take part in prayer with the congregation of the Islamic Centre. He was trusted to be left alone in the centre and he took several videos wandering the corridors of the building. "In one video, he enters a room and his own hand enters the shot, shaped like a gun." The boy then began searching images of the centre online as well as weapons and combat clothing. He went on to speak to an acquaintance on chatting application Telegram. The boy said: "It's good to infiltrate the target be it a mosque or synagogue as they think I'm one of them because I infiltrated the place." He claimed that he could have burned down the centre when left alone but there would have been "zero kills." Mr Farrell said: "He told the user he would use a deodorant can and a lighter to start a fire and he had a BB gun that people would believe was a real firearm. He also said he would use it to prevent them leaving the building." The boy also asked the acquaintance to live stream the burning down of the mosque which would be shared with his manifesto. He meantime tried to get a rifle licence but was unable to as his local club was closed at the time. The boy prepared a "final" manifesto in which he stated he would attack "tomorrow" when "the mosque will be at its fullest." On the morning of the planned attack, the boy left his home with a rucksack which concerned his mother. He messaged friends, stating: "Today, I choose what my life was and will be." The boy appeared at the Islamic Centre but was unable to enter as the door was locked. Earlier that morning, the police had received intelligence regarding the boy and waited on him at the Islamic Centre. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. He was found by officers to be dressed in black clothing and he carried a camouflage military rucksack. When asked what was in the bag, the boy replied: "Guns, I'll tell you what's in the bag so you don't get hurt. I don't want to hurt you." A German manufactured air pistol - capable of firing BBs - was recovered as well as a magazine which was suitable for the gun. He was also snared with ball bearings, gas cartridges, four cans of aerosol spray and his mobile phone. The boy was further found to have notepads which contained sketches and right wing symbols such as swastikas A search of his home recovered a copy of Hitler's book Mein Kampf, a copy of the Quran, knives, airsoft weapons and ingredients for explosive substances. A book, named 'The Anarchist Cookbook' was also found which was an instruction manual on how to produce weapons and explosives. It emerged today that the teenager "continues to describe himself as a Nazi". The court heard that the teen was "socially isolated" and had formed his entrenched views from what he had see n and heard online. Tony Lenehan KC, defending, today said this eventually led to him "trying to make himself significant". The advocate added: "The transition for anyone into adulthood is complicated and confusing enough with the benefit of positive role models. "He did not have a stable home life - this no doubt contributed to his sense of isolation and allowed these internet voices to play a more important part in his development than they should."
