Latest news with #drugsMule
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Daily Mail
British teen 'drug mule' locked up in a horror Georgia jail 'is finally reunited with her father' after he jetted to the ex-Soviet state to be by her side
A British teenage 'drugs mule' locked up in a Georgia jail has finally been reunited with her father. Bella Culley, 18, was arrested after she allegedly tried to smuggle 14kg of cannabis into the country earlier this month. As soon as the news broke on May 13, Bella's father, Niel Culley, 49, flew to the ex-Soviet state to be by his daughter's side. But, Niel was not allowed to see Bella until he visited her at Women's Prison No.5 in Rustavi yesterday. The 49-year old was spotted entering the prison with a bag before leaving without it 45 minutes later, presumably having dropped off some supplies to his daughter. He has vowed to stay in Georgia for 'as long as it takes' to bring Bella back home. The teenager, from Billingham on Teesside, had to write to prison authorities requesting permission before her family could visit her. The reunion came just days after Bella revealed she has been left freezing in her jail cell and is receiving no medical attention despite telling officials she is pregnant. As soon as the news broke on May 13 Bella's father, Niel Culley, 49, flew out to the ex-Soviet state to be by his daughter's side. But, Niel had not been allowed to see Bella until he visited her at Women's Prison No.5 in Rustavi yesterday The 49-year old was spotted going into the prison with a bag before leaving without it 45 minutes later - presumably having dropped off some supplies to his daughter She asked for a jumper and warmer clothes and requested fresh fruit after being visited by local celebrity lawyer Mariam Kublashvili. Bella, who is sharing a cell with two inmates called Anastasya and Ani, also requested tuna which Ms Kublashvili believes may be 'pregnancy cravings'. 'She is pregnant and needs medical care which she complained she wasn't getting,' the glamorous Georgian lawyer told the Mail after a 30-minute meeting with her on May 19. 'She asked me for tuna fish which I thought was odd and might have been something to do with pregnancy cravings - but fish cannot be sent in. 'She told me no tests, checks or medical examinations have been done. 'She said she asked for a doctor, but the doctor wasn't speaking English and they couldn't understand each other.' Ms Kublashvili, who previously represented speedboat killer Jack Shepherd when he was caught in Georgia, has been closely following the case and said she has great sympathy for Bella's predicament. While she is not representing the teenager, the former model used a routine visit to her prison to meet her and offered to use her legal clout to get her supplies. Ms Kublashivili, 39, who has specialised in helping female prisoners, said Bella was 'visibly cold' in the drafty meeting room and requested a jumper as she only had on a thin dark green top and blue leggings. She said: 'My Initial impression was very positive - she is very open, very pleasant, and charming. She doesn't fit the profile of a drug trafficker at all. 'For anyone, like me, with experience in dealing with such cases, it would be quite obvious that she is a victim here - she's been used and manipulated. 'I have a 20 year old child myself and can only imagine what her parents must be feeling.' Bella was arrested at Tbilisi Airport on May 11 and found with 12kg of cannabis and 2kg of hashish after getting a £550 Air Arabia flight from Bangkok via Sharjah. She is sharing a cell with two other women inmates, but it was unclear what crimes they have been accused of or committed, Ms Kublashvili said. The lawyer added: 'She is getting along well with her inmates – two of them, Anastasya and Ani. 'She asked me to get in touch with her dad – she said she knew he was getting lawyers and that carried significant financial costs. 'But I have a great deal of experience helping women in situations like this and want to do all I can for her - and I'm offering my service free of charge.' Ms Kublashivili said Bella was 'very polite' and 'shy', saying thank you 'every five minutes'. The meeting was the first time the teenage Brit has been heard from since she appeared in Tbilisi city court last week appearing shell shocked dressed only in a skimpy white top and shorts. She had been travelling around South East Asia and only appears to have clothes for the beach despite the cold conditions of her jail cell.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Daily Mail
British 'drug mule' faces raising her child in ex-Soviet prison until it is taken away from her when it turns three - as source reveals real reason teenager flew out to Far East
Teenage British 'drugs mule' Bella Culley faces raising her child behind bars in Georgia after she was caught entering the country with £200,000 worth of cannabis. The 18-year-old told court she was pregnant after 14kg of drugs were found in her hold luggage as she entered the Black Sea nation from Thailand last Saturday. She faces a minimum of 15 years if convicted meaning the baby would be raised inside notorious Women's Colony No 5 outside the capital, Tbilisi. It comes as we can reveal Bella has confided in a source close to her legal case that she flew out to South East Asia 'for love'. 'She said that she was in love and that love was the reason she flew out to the Far East,' the source said. 'But she has said nothing about why she had the drugs.' It adds to fears she was taken advantage of by someone involved in drugs trafficking after she posted cryptic messages on social media comparing herself to Bonnie and Clyde days before travelling from Bangkok to Tbilisi via Sharjah in the UAE. Bella's father Niel Culley, 49, and auntie Kerrie Culley, 51, flew out to Tbilisi on Wednesday but have still not been able to visit her in jail due to bureaucracy. Niel, who lives in Vietnam, was seen shaking whilst having a cigarette outside their hotel today and told the press he does not wish to comment on the case. He faces the agonising possibility of his first grandchild being born in prison in a country thousands of miles away from his home. Officials have confirmed to the Mail that they have special rooms for inmates who have children where they can raise them for the first three years of their life. After this period the toddler must be put up for custody with a family member if their mother is still serving their sentence - which would likely apply to Bella. It raises huge complications as, while Bella's family is all British, her child would be born Georgian and citizens of the country are not allowed to hold more than one passport. Georgian lawyer Eliso Rukhadze, who specialises in women's rights, told the Mail: 'Bella would be transferred to a hospital to have the baby and then rushed back to prison. 'Over the last few years, a large amount of funds have been allocated to make the space for mother and babies as comfortable as possible. 'For up to three years, the child would grow up there and the mum would have unrestricted access to the child, including breastfeeding, and then would have to be cared for by a family member. 'The nationality will add complications. If the child is Georgian, and the family is British, they will have to take extra steps to be given wardship of the child. 'It won't be put up for adoption. The child will only be given to members of the family, but it adds an extra layer of bureaucracy.' Fears have been raised over the treatment of inmates in reports on Women's Colony No 5 with inmates reportedly subjected to degrading strip searches and forced to squat for inspection. But Ms Rukhadze insisted measures are in place to support mothers and their children. She said: 'It's not a stressful environment and they try to support these mothers as much as they can inside the prison, including help from a psychologist. 'There is a kindergarten and nursery too. They try to create as comfortable conditions for the child as possible in a prison.'
