An 18 year old British youngster from Teeside has been arrested in Tbilisi, the capital of the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Bella May Culley was travelling alone on a world tour that included the Philippines and Thailand, but her phone went dead on May 5 whilst she was believed to be in Pattaya.
Thai police made enquiries throughout the holiday resort, a three hours drive from Bangkok, but immigration records suggested she had already left the country. It has now been confirmed by British police that Bella has been arrested for suspected drugs smuggling after 14 packs of banned substances were found in her belongings after a tip-off to Tbilisi airport authorities.
A Pattaya police spokesperson said that any solo young lady travelling to the eastern European country of Georgia was likely to attract official attention. He said a likely explanation was that she had been lured by criminals to be a drugs transporter or “mule” in return for the holiday of a lifetime. Georgia has harsh anti-drugs laws which could result in a 20 years prison sentence.
Georgia is home to many natural attractions, such as the Caucasus Mountain villages and Black Sea beaches. The capital is known for diverse architecture and mazelike cobblestone streets of the old town area. English is widely spoken as it is taught in schools and May is regarded as the best time to visit as it avoids summer heat and freezing winters.
