Featured Image Credit: Bella Culley/Facebook
Topics: News, World News, UK News
Gerrard Kaonga
Thailand officials have released new CCTV footage of a British student who claims she was tortured into smuggling drugs.
British 19-year-old student Bella Culley finds herself in a world of trouble currently after being arrested when she arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia, earlier this year.
She has been accused of attempting to smuggle large amounts of illegal drugs in her suitcase in Thailand.
While she was out in Thailand, her family had reported her missing after not hearing from her for a few days.
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Then, in an unexpected turn of events, Culley's family learnt that the 18-year-old had been arrested in Georgia over 4,000 miles away from her last known location in Thailand.
The teenager was taken into custody at Tbilisi International Airport. She reportedly had 12kg (26lbs) of marijuana and 2kg (4.4lbs) of hashish on her at the time.
If convicted, she could face life in prison. While in Tbilisi City Court, following her arrest, she pleaded not guilty to charges of possession and trafficking of illegal drugs.
However, the student has said she was tortured into trafficking the drugs.
Her lawyer, Mr Malkhaz Salakaia said that Culley had been threatened with a hot iron to force her into trafficking the drugs.
Thailand Lieutenant General Choengron Rimpadee has disputed this and recently released CCTV images from the airport showing Culley.
The footage shows the student calmly passing through airport checks without showing any unusual behavior.
Rimpadee said: “There is absolutely no factual basis to her claims.
"There is no evidence whatsoever that any immigration or police officers forced or threatened the suspect to smuggle drugs out of the country."
According to a Metro report, while in court, and while 18 weeks pregnant, she pleaded with the judge and insisted she was innocent.
She said: “I did not want to do this. I was forced to do this through torture.
“I just wanted to travel. I am a good person. I am a student at university. I am a clean person. I don’t do drugs.”
She said she had tried to approach a police officer for help but claimed he was part of the criminal group as well.
Salakaia added: “She was instructed to fly to Georgia – she did not even know where Georgia was located geographically.’
He also claimed that she was meant to be met by people in Tbilisi airport but was instead intercepted by a customs officer.
Culley’s next hearing is scheduled for July 10.