Concerned parents are desperate to learn about their daughter’s recent activities in Thailand.
PUBLISHED: 17 May 2025 at 15:49
A young woman from the UK, reported missing and last seen in Thailand, has been arrested 6,500 kilometers away in Georgia on charges of drug smuggling and possession of cannabis.
Authorities in Georgia revealed that officers discovered 12 kilograms of marijuana and 2 kilograms of hashish in Bella Culley’s travel bag at Tbilisi International Airport.
The Georgian interior ministry stated that the 18-year-old faces potential life imprisonment, with a minimum sentence of 20 years.
During her initial court appearance, Ms. Culley remained silent before being transferred to an all-female pre-trial detention center in Rustavi, as confirmed by her lawyer.
Family reports indicated she had not communicated since May 10, when she missed a scheduled Facetime call with her mother, Lyanne Kennedy.
Her father, residing in Vietnam, traveled to Bangkok last weekend to investigate her disappearance, only to learn of her arrest in Georgia on Tuesday.
Ms. Kennedy mentioned that her daughter, who aspired to attend nursing school, had traveled to the Philippines with a friend the previous month for three weeks.
On April 16, she shared a video on social media, expressing her journey of self-discovery in the Philippines with the caption: “Needed a hug but made the biggest decision of my life and found peace in another country’s culture and way of life.”
She arrived in Thailand on May 3, reportedly to meet friends from a previous visit unbeknownst to her mother.
The teenager actively posted about her adventures, including snorkeling and exploring caves, with her final updates on May 9, a day before she was reported as missing.
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However, social media has revealed posts showing her with large sums of cash and allegedly consuming cannabis while traveling. Authorities have not yet commented on the authenticity of these videos.
Reports indicate that Ms. Culley had modified her travel plans after being persuaded by acquaintances to visit Thailand.
Furthermore, there are questions surrounding her connections to various companies, some with links to China. She is also identified as the director of Lujamen Limited, categorized as “agents specialized in the sale of other particular products.”
British law enforcement noted a significant rise in cannabis smuggling from Thailand following the country’s decriminalization of the drug in 2022, highlighting that traffickers have been recruiting individuals in the UK via messaging apps, promising free trips to Thailand in exchange for smuggling cannabis back to Britain.
