British Teen and London Woman Face Drug Charges Abroad UPDATE
Two young British women are facing serious drug charges in separate cases overseas, highlighting growing concerns about drug smuggling networks exploiting travelers.
Last week, 19-year-old Bella Culley, who is 19 weeks pregnant, appeared in Tbilisi City Court in Georgia, claiming she had been tortured into carrying drugs. Displaying a scarred wrist, she told the judge:
“I did not want to do this. I was forced to do this through torture.”
Bella pleaded not guilty to charges of drug possession and trafficking and broke down in tears during the hearing.
In a separate case, Charlotte May Lee, a 21-year-old former flight attendant from south London, was arrested in Sri Lanka earlier in May. She’s accused of attempting to smuggle 46 kilograms of synthetic cannabis into the country from Thailand.
Charlotte said:
“I didn’t expect it at all when they pulled me over at the airport. I thought it was going to be filled with all my stuff.”
Both cases add to a series of recent arrests involving young Brits allegedly caught trafficking drugs abroad, sometimes under coercion or deceit.
