The father of 18-year-old Bella Culley, the British teen arrested in Georgia with 14kg of cannabis and hashish, has pledged to remain in the country “as long as it takes” to help his daughter — as organised crime experts warn UK backpackers may be in the sights of Thai drug gangs.
Niel Culley, 49, an offshore oil rig technician living in Vietnam, flew to the Black Sea nation as soon as news of Bella’s arrest broke last Tuesday night.
But heartbreakingly, he has not yet been allowed to visit his daughter, who is being held in a notorious Georgian prison, reports MailOnline.
“I can’t say anything but I will be here for as long as it takes,” he told the Mail. “I obviously have no experience in dealing with situations like this and it’s very difficult.”
Bella is currently being held at Women’s Penitentiary Number 5, just outside the capital Tbilisi, after she was stopped at the city’s airport on May 11. Officials found 12kg of cannabis and 2kg of hashish in her luggage following her £550 Air Arabia flight from Bangkok via Sharjah.
Her father is being supported in Georgia by his sister, 51-year-old Kerrie Culley, as they face an agonising wait — with red tape reportedly preventing them from seeing Bella until at least Wednesday. She first appeared in court on May 13, and is now remanded in custody until her next scheduled hearing on July 1.
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The case has raised alarm bells among experts, who warn that British travellers may be being targeted by cartels in Thailand. It follows a second arrest of a British national accused of smuggling cannabis out of the country.
Charlotte May Lee, 21, a flight attendant, was arrested in Sri Lanka just hours after Bella’s flight. Authorities in Colombo claim she was carrying £1.15million worth of kush, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis. Investigators are probing whether the two cases are connected.
Former Georgian police general and narcotics expert Jemal Janashia told the Mail: “The fact that two young British women have taken off with large quantities of drugs from the same airport will interest investigators.
“They will be concerned about the possibility of a link and that Thai gangs may be attempting to recruit vulnerable British travellers.”
Both women left Thailand during the Royal Ploughing Ceremony, one of the busiest weekends of the year for Thai airports — a prime opportunity, say officials, for traffickers to exploit chaos and sneak contraband out.
It follows a major crackdown on cannabis being posted from Thailand to the UK, with authorities in both countries working together to stop drugs from reaching British shores. Since last year, the number of mail shipments containing cannabis has dropped by 90 per cent — from 15 tonnes intercepted in late 2024 to 1.5 tonnes in the first three months of 2025.
Mr Janashia said: “After the crackdown on postal drug deliveries, the Thai cartel are seeking new routes.
“Georgia does look like an attractive middle transit point: It is relatively close and easy to reach Europe from.”
With over 800 people — including 50 British nationals — arrested for smuggling since July 2024 and more than nine tonnes of cannabis seized, fears are growing that gangs are turning to drug mules instead.
Mr Janashia, who is advising the family, told the Mail she should cooperate fully with authorities and may be able to secure a plea bargain.
He said: “First of all, I would advise her to cooperate, together with the lawyer, with the investigation, indicate who were the youths that she was in touch with in Thailand.
“And also indicate whether there was a contact person in Georgia as well.
“The court, first of all will clarify and find out whether she has sold drugs before or trafficked them before, what kind of profile she has. And if it’s the first time, it’s mitigating circumstances.”
When asked if his advice to Bella would be to tell the police everything, Mr Janashia replied: “Of course.”