Tom Burgess
BBC News, North East and Cumbria
Reihan Demitry
Caucasus correspondent
Report from Georgia
Watch: Bella Curry appears in court in Tbilisi, Georgia
British teenagers were able to spend up to nine months in a Georgia prison while being investigated for suspected drug crimes.
Bella Culley, 18, from Billingham, Teesside, was arrested in Tbilisi, Georgia, and was responsible for importing large quantities of drugs.
Prosecutors ask for 55 days to find evidence before the case goes to trial, and the BBC understands this could be extended by another seven months. At the end of the pre-trial hearing Tuesday, Miss Curry told the court that she was pregnant.
Her lawyer, Ia Todua, said the police wanted to establish where 12kg (26 pounds) of marijuana and 2kg (4.4 pounds) of hashish came from and whether she was “planning to hand it over to someone.”
Ms Toddur, who was appointed by the state to represent the teenagers, said she estimated that prosecutors would need two months to gather information.
“They said they have to do a lot of research activities so they can gather evidence and establish where it comes from. [the narcotics] And she was planning on handing it over to someone else,” she said.
“It was something they said they wanted to establish and they confiscated her phone again.”
The lawyer added at the end of the hearing that Miss Curry “told the court that she was pregnant.”
Reihan Demitry
Bella Curry was sent to Rastavi’s prison number 5
The BBC understands that other lawyers have been in touch to represent Miss Curry, and the British Consul Services are planning a meeting.
The Foreign Office confirmed that it is “supporting the families of British women detained in Georgia.”
Georgian police said officers seized marijuana and drug hashish in travel bags at Tbilisi International Airport.
Bella Curry
Bella Curry’s family is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Miss Curry was charged by Georgian police with illegally purchasing, possessing and importing large quantities of drugs.
The spokesman said the arrest was the result of a joint operation between multiple departments, and if convicted, Miss Curry could reach up to 20 years in prison or life sentence.
Cleveland police confirmed that an 18-year-old Billingham woman was arrested and remains in custody in Georgia “on suspicion of a drug crime.”
