Teen accused of drug smuggling faces 'up to 20 years or life'

LONG JAIL SENTENCE IF FOUND GUILTY

- By NAOMI CORRIGAN

A TEESSIDE teenager could face life imprisonment in Georgia after allegedly being caught trying to smuggle drugs into the ex-Soviet country.

Bella May Culley, 18, was reportedly arrested on suspicion of smuggling up to 14kg cannabis through Tbilisi International Airport.

And, as reported by The Mirror, Georgian TV outlet Rustavi 2 has now claimed the 18-year-old told the court in Tbilisi she was “pregnant”.

It also said the British citizen “chose to exercise her right to remain silent regarding the charges”. The channel gave no further details about her reported pregnancy.

The shock news of the teenager’s arrest came after her frantic family had appealed for help in finding her when she stopped contacting them while holidaying in Thailand.

Cleveland Police revealed they had been made aware the woman had been arrested in Georgia which is 4,000 miles away from Thailand.