Tom Burgess
BBC News, North East and Cumbria
Reihan Demitry
Caucasus correspondent
Report from Georgiabella Culley
Bella Curry’s family is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The British teenager was arrested in Tbilisi, Georgia on suspicion of a drug crime.
Bella Curry, 18, from Billingham, Teesside, who went missing in Thailand, has been charged with illegally purchasing, possessing and importing large quantities of drugs, including marijuana.
Georgia State Police say if convicted she could reach up to 20 years in prison or life sentence.
Her attorney said Curry didn’t speak at her first hearing before being sent to the pretrial detention facility for all women in Rastabi City.
Ia Todua, appointed by the state to represent Miss Curry, confirmed that she had arrived in Georgia from Thailand on Saturday and was held in temporary custody until hearing on Tuesday.
She said other lawyers had contacted Miss Curry to represent him, and the British Consul Services had planned a meeting.
Todua said: “She was very tight and she’s a child.
“When she explained the nature of the accusation, she was worried about speaking.
“When we asked her to testify at the moment, she decided to choose silence.”
The Foreign Office confirmed that it is “supporting the families of British women detained in Georgia.”
Georgia police
Bella Curry was taken into custody by Georgia State Police.
Police during the Georgian era said officers had just over 12kg (26 pounds) of marijuana and 2kg (4.4 pounds) of drug drugs in a travel bag at Tbilisi International Airport.
A spokesperson said the arrests were the result of a joint operation between multiple departments.
Ms Curry was charged on Monday with “unlawful purchase and possession of large quantities of drugs, illegal purchase and possession of illegal marijuana drugs, and illegal importation of drugs into Georgia.”
Cleveland police confirmed that an 18-year-old Billingham woman was arrested and remains in custody in Georgia “on suspicion of a drug crime.”
