A British teenager has been arrested in Georgia on suspicion of drug trafficking after she went missing in Thailand.
Georgia‘s interior ministry said an 18-year-old British citizen was arrested at Tbilisi international airport while attempting to smuggle 12kg of cannabis and 2kg of hashish, a cannabis concentrate, into the country.
She could face up to 20 years or life in prison if she is convicted.
Police footage showed sealed packages the teenager was allegedly attempting to smuggle into Georgia.
It also showed her handcuffed as she was brought to a police station in Tbilisi.
Police said she had been charged with the illegal possession of drugs, as well as smuggling them into the country.
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The 18-year-old appeared at a court in the capital city Tbilisi for a hearing on pre-trial detention on Tuesday.
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Georgian media said the suspect told the court she was pregnant but did not answer the judge’s questions about the drug allegations.
The prosecutor’s office has said an investigation is under way to identify any possible accomplices.
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Cleveland Police in the UK said it had confirmation an 18-year-old woman from Billingham had been arrested in Georgia on suspicion of drugs offences and she remains in custody.
The force had previously said she had gone missing and was believed to be in Thailand.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who is detained in Georgia and are in contact with the local authorities.”
