British woman, 19, faces life imprisonment after she is accused of smuggling 30lb of cannabis into ex-Soviet republic Georgia
A 19-year-old British woman has been detained in Tbilisi accused of carrying 14kg of cannabis into ex-Soviet republic Georgia.
The woman - identified as B.K. - could face 20 years jail or even life imprisonment, said the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
A video shows the handcuffed woman after she was held at Tbilisi Airport.
'During the inspection, 34 hermetically sealed packages containing marijuana were found in the passenger's bag, as well as 20 packages of hashish,' said a local report.
Footage showed the drugs allegedly carried by the woman.
She is accused of bringing 'a particularly large amount of narcotic drugs to Georgia'.
The Interior Ministry said: 'B.K., born in 2006, is charged with illegally purchasing and storing a particularly large amount of narcotics, illegally purchasing and storing the narcotic drug marijuana, and illegally importing it into Georgia.
'The committed crime envisions up to 20 years - or life imprisonment.
The woman - identified as B.K. - could face 20 years jail or even life imprisonment, said the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs. A video shows the handcuffed woman after she was held at Tbilisi Airport
'Law enforcement officers, as a result of the defendant's luggage inspection at Tbilisi International Airport, seized a particularly large amount of the narcotic drug marijuana, up to 12 kilograms, and 2.068 kg of the narcotic drug hashish in her travel bag.'
Her luggage was identified as suspicious during a scanner check at the airport, said the ministry's statement.
The ministry did not say where the woman was flying from when she was detained.
The investigation is being conducted by the Central Criminal Police Department in Tbilisi.
It comes just one week after a British man was hauled into court in Bali for allegedly smuggling a kilo of MDMA to the party island where drug crimes can result in the death penalty.
Thomas Parker, a 32-year-old electrician from Cumbria who is accused of trying to push Class A drugs police said they recovered in a mail package, appeared in a white shirt and red waistcoat as he was hauled in front of a judge on May 7.
The Interior Ministry said: 'B.K., born in 2006, is charged with illegally purchasing and storing a particularly large amount of narcotics, illegally purchasing and storing the narcotic drug marijuana, and illegally importing it into Georgia'
Parker, from the small village of Seaton near Workington, was arrested at an AirBnB in the south of the Indonesian island in January as he was allegedly collecting the package, which contained over a kilogram of the party drug along with two mobile phones.
Authorities claimed that officers had noticed him 'acting suspiciously' while collecting a package from a motorcycle taxi driver on January 21, before his arrest.
Police approached Parker, who allegedly discarded the package in panic and fled the scene. He was traced back to the 7 Seas Villas in North Kuta, where he was arrested.
Indonesia is known for its harsh punishments for drugs crimes, which can carry penalties of death by firing squad.
General Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat, of the Bali Province National Narcotics Agency, said of Parker's arrest: 'After conducting a search and arrest, Thomas and the evidence were taken to the Bali Province National Narcotics Agency office for investigation.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Criminals to face jail over forcing children to conceal drugs under new offence
Gang leaders who force vulnerable people to hide drugs and cash in their bodies could face up to 10 years in prison under a change in the law. Ministers are seeking to create the new criminal offence to crack down on the action known as 'plugging' typically used by organised criminals to move goods from one place to another in county lines drug running. Children and vulnerable adults are forced to ingest or conceal the items in their bodies, which can cause significant harm and can be fatal if drug packages break open inside them, leading to an overdose. The move will be included as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill currently going through Parliament. Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said: 'There is something truly evil about the gang leaders who degrade young girls, young boys and vulnerable adults in this way, forcing them to put their lives at risk. 'This new offence will go alongside other measures in our landmark Crime and Policing Bill to turn the tables on the gang leaders and hold them to account for exploiting children and vulnerable adults.' It comes as the Government committed to investing £42 million into a programme to tackle county lines gangs and support victims of the drugs trade. Since July 2024, more than 800 violent criminals involved in county lines have been charged through the programme's enforcement action and 1,200 drug lines have been closed, according to the Home Office. More than 2,100 safeguarding referrals for children and vulnerable people have also been made, it added. Jack O'Neill, of The Children's Society, said: 'Children forced to carry drugs in this way are subject to a form of abuse and exploitation that causes deep, long-lasting harm, and the law must reflect that. 'A clear legal definition of child criminal exploitation would help stop vulnerable children falling through the cracks and shift the focus onto the predators who profit from their abuse.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Footy star Sarantis Parissos learns his fate after dragging female cop down a road in horror hit and run and stealing a police car in front of officers
Former soccer star and seafood heir Sarantis Parissos has been sentenced to six years in jail for a series of shocking offences that left two police officers injured and one questioning her future in the force. The 41-year-old, who once played for Adelaide Olympic and professionally in Greece, faced the South Australian District Court for two separate incidents involving police in 2021 and 2022. In January 2022, Parissos was spotted speeding in a black Range Rover along Sir Donald Bradman Drive in Adelaide. Police, supported by PolAir, tracked the car through Fulham Gardens and attempted to apprehend him on Merlin Road. As officers approached, Parissos reversed the vehicle, dragging a female police officer several metres down the road before fleeing the scene. He dumped the car near Grange Road and attempted to escape on foot but was struck by an oncoming car after running into traffic. He suffered a broken neck, while the female officer was also hospitalised with injuries. In a victim impact statement, the officer said the incident left her physically and mentally traumatised. She described 2022 as 'the worst year of my life' and said she had been left 'frozen in pain' by the ordeal. 'I try my best to enjoy my job, but I don't think I can remain as a police officer due to the trauma of this incident,' she said. 'My health is worth more than being treated like a speed bump.' The hit-and-run was not an isolated incident. Just one month earlier, in December 2021, Parissos stole a police car during a separate confrontation in Broadview. Bodycam footage shows officers attempting to detain him when he ran towards their patrol vehicle. Despite urgent commands to stop, Parissos jumped into the car and drove away with a female passenger. A female officer frantically radioed for help, reporting the vehicle had been taken and was heading east with sirens activated. Moments later, both officers were flung from the stolen vehicle. A male officer was thrown 10 metres, dislocating his shoulder. He later said he feared for his life, believing he could have been 'flung across a main road at speed.' Parissos was eventually arrested and charged with multiple offences, including dangerous driving, hindering police and causing harm. He pleaded guilty to all charges. His defence lawyer, Tim Clarke, told the court Parissos had been using drugs at the time and acknowledged his 'catastrophically bad' decisions. The court heard that Parissos had written apology letters to the injured officers. He had previously worked for his family's seafood business, Parissos Seafoods, which has since been sold to Silver Bay Seafoods on November 12, 2024. Parissos is also a father and had shown early promise as a footballer before injury cut short his sporting career. The judge's comments noted his complete disregard for public safety and the wellbeing of officers involved. One of the incidents saw Parissos crash into a stationary police vehicle before fleeing on foot. The events unfolded in full view of bystanders and were later widely shared via media coverage. The court acknowledged that while Parissos had shown remorse, the impact on the victims was long-lasting. The female officer injured in the January 2022 incident continues to suffer both physically and psychologically. The male officer injured during the stolen patrol car incident described ongoing complications and anxiety.
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
Police use radar for major new search for Madeleine McCann's body as suspect release looms
A new search for the body of Madeleine McCann is underway in Praia da Luz, Portugal, as police race against time to bring charges against the prime suspect A significant new hunt for Madeleine McCann's remains commenced today in Praia da Luz, Portugal, with authorities eager to press charges against the lead suspect. Specialists from Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), known as the country's version of the FBI, have converged on the coastal town equipped with sophisticated ground-penetrating radar that can explore up to 15 feet beneath the ground, The Sun has disclosed. They're operating based on information received and surmise that this endeavour may represent their last opportunity to uncover crucial forensic evidence. "It's now or never," a source stated unequivocally. The detectives are zeroing in on substantial earthworks conducted around the time Madeleine disappeared at the age of three from her family's Ocean Club holiday flat in May 2007. There is a suspicion that her body or personal belongings, such as her nightwear, could have been concealed in trenches in the vicinity. Approximately 30 German officers were observed setting up marquees and cordoning off streets in Atalaia, just outside Praia da Luz. The search will also extend to a cottage located roughly half a mile from the resort, previously utilised by Christian Brueckner, who is at the forefront of the investigation, reports the Express. Presently imprisoned in Germany for assaulting an American woman in 2005 within the same area, Brueckner is strenuously connected to the McCann case. The area, previously a known shortcut for Brueckner, also connects to the property where the 2005 rape took place. Sources indicate that while Brueckner did not reside at the cottage in May 2007, he is believed to have been a frequent visitor. A joint investigation by The Sun and Channel 4 has unearthed unsettling new evidence and locations connected to Brueckner. "German cops know it is now or never so they need to push ahead with every credible tip they have," said a source close to the investigation. "Following Brueckner's trial last year someone contacted them with theories on where anyone who took Madeleine might have dumped her, or her clothes. "They told cops about trenches that were dug in Praia at the time Madeleine disappeared - and the house where Brueckner had lived on the edge of the village. "Of course, all these places have been searched over and over again - but now they have a new weapon in their ground-scanning radar." The insider continued: "With time running out they are praying they get a breakthrough." There is no involvement from British police in the current operation, which is the first official police activity in Portugal since the Arade Dam, located about 30 miles away, was searched in 2023. That search involved collecting soil samples but did not produce any definitive evidence. There are unconfirmed reports suggesting that German police were sent photographs from an informant, detailing specific areas in Praia da Luz where Madeleine might be buried, or where belongings linked to her may have been hidden. Christian Brueckner, 48, who is currently the sole named suspect, has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence, despite German detectives eagerly awaiting new forensic evidence with his release date looming on 17 September. The investigation has been hampered by his refusal to divulge information about a cryptic 30-minute phone call placed near the McCanns' flat on the night of Madeleine's disappearance. Authorities have stated that the identity of the individual on the other end of that phone call has never been established, and Brueckner remains tight-lipped on the subject. An insider from the Portuguese police has acknowledged: "These will be land searches only. The main objective is to look for any signs of Madeleine's body." The Policia Judiciaria of Portugal has expressed its cooperation in the ongoing search, which is being aided by a warrant from the Braunschweig public prosecutor's office. The authority commented: "This is conducting preliminary proceedings against a German citizen suspected of the murder of British citizen Madeleine Beth McCann, who disappeared from a holiday resort in Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007." Moreover, they added: "All the evidence seized by the PJ will, with the prior authorisation of the national Public Prosecutor's Office, be handed over to the agents of the German Federal Criminal Police Service." Kate and Gerry McCann from Rothley, Leicestershire, the parents of Madeleine McCann, have tirelessly pushed for the investigation into their daughter's disappearance to stay active. In a past court proceeding, Brueckner was cleared of separate sexual offence charges in Portugal, yet detectives are still persuaded he has a connection to the Madeleine McCann case. The Metropolitan Police affirmed: "We are aware of the searches in Portugal and will support our international colleagues where necessary."
