A British teenager arrested in Georgia on suspicion of smuggling 14 kilos of cannabis may have flown across the world to reunite with a mystery ex-boyfriend named “Russ”, her grandfather has revealed.
Dream holiday ends in arrest
Bella May Culley, 18, from Billingham, County Durham, was arrested at Tbilisi International Airport earlier this week after allegedly attempting to enter the country with dozens of packages of marijuana and hashish hidden in her luggage.
She had been missing for several days while travelling across Southeast Asia, with her family fearing the worst after her phone went dead and she failed to return home from a trip to Thailand.
In a court appearance this week, Bella shocked officials by revealing she is pregnant. She now faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars — or a life sentence — if found guilty.
Grandfather speaks out about mystery companion
Speaking from the family home, her grandfather William Culley said Bella had mentioned plans to meet a former partner during her travels. “She went to the Philippines to see somebody, a lad there, who she used to go out with a couple of years ago. He was working out there for his father’s company or something – but now I wonder if what she told me was true.”
Bella’s social media had shown her posing on beaches in the days leading up to her arrest, often with a man who was never clearly photographed. Her family say they had been desperately trying to locate her, only to discover she was thousands of miles away in Georgia, held by police on suspicion of drug smuggling.
Family travel to Georgia as legal fight begins
Bella’s father Neil and aunt Kerrie flew to Thailand to search for her, before learning of her arrest in Georgia. They are now in Tbilisi, hoping for a chance to visit the teenager who is reportedly “terrified and confused”.
Her lawyer has described her as visibly shaken after being told the length of the potential sentence. “My impression was that she ended up in Georgia without even knowing what she was doing,” he said.
Inside Georgian Prison Where Bella May Culley Could Spend The Rest Of Her Life
Life inside Georgia’s notorious female prison
If convicted, Bella is likely to serve her sentence in Tbilisi Prison No.5 — the only women’s prison in Georgia. Past reports have described the facility as overcrowded and in poor condition, with inmates complaining of degrading treatment and a lack of basic sanitation.
Meanwhile, her family have warned of fake fundraising pages being set up in Bella’s name. “No parents ever want to find themselves in this situation,” said her cousin Claire. “They are going through the worst time of their lives.”
