Bella May was 'clearly used and manipulated'

A FORMER senior Georgian police officer has urged suspected British drug smuggler Bella May Culley to fully cooperate with the authorities in Georgia.

- By JOHN ROGAN and SIMON MURPHY

The 18-year-old from Billingham disappeared in Thailand before re-emerging in the former Soviet nation, now facing a potential life sentence for allegedly smuggling cannabis.

The expert, formerly at the helm of Georgia's national bureau for combating drug trafficking, shared his insights on the young woman's plight.

Retired police general Jemal Janashia told The Mirror: “I feel sorry for this woman because she was clearly used and manipulated. She's 18, she’s a foreigner, pregnant.

“All of this indicates that she was chosen deliberately, chosen carefully, she was studied. Whoever chose her, they knew what they were doing.”

Bella, who claims to be pregnant, was nabbed at Tbilisi International Airport on May 11. She stands accused of importing roughly 12kg of cannabis and about 2kg of hashish into Georgia.

Bella could face an extensive jail term, with life imprisonment being the most severe outcome.