Reason Brit 'drug mules' are 'flavour of the month' for criminal gangs is exposed - The Mirror
Reason Brit 'drug mules' are 'flavour of the month' for criminal gangs is exposed - The Mirror"
- Select a language for the TTS:
- UK English Female
- UK English Male
- US English Female
- US English Male
- Australian Female
- Australian Male
- Language selected: (auto detect) - EN
Play all audios:
Reason Brit 'drug mules' are 'flavour of the month' for criminal gangs is exposedRecently, Bella Culley, from Billingham, County Durham, was arrested in Georgia and Charlotte May Lee, from
Coulsdon in London, allegedly had a synthetic strain of cannabis in her luggage in Sri LankaNewsBradley Jolly Overnight News Editor02:47, 05 Jun 2025Charlotte May Lee allegedly tried to
smuggle drugs into Sri Lanka Party-going Brits are the "flavour of the month" for drug smuggler gangs, experts warned today.
Insiders say Brits are being recruited on the promise of quick cash and the "perfect package" luxury holiday in the likes of Thailand and Indonesia. However, some are never making it home -
or are absent for months - because they are being banged up in hellhole jails for drug smuggling offences.
Bella Culley, from Billingham, County Durham, and Charlotte May Lee, from Coulsdon, south London, are just two of the several Brits to be lured into the murky world recently. However, in a
case that has bucked the trend, a 79-year-old William 'Billy Boy' Eastment, of Somerset, was arrested in Chile last week after a Mexican gang allegedly promised him £3.7million to smuggle a
suitcase of crystal meth from Cancun.
And experts say the variety highlights how age isn't a barrier for these gangs. One drugs expert said: "They recruit anyone they think looks innocent enough to get through customs, and yet
still be dodgy enough to do the deal."
READ MORE: Bella May Culley 'received no medical treatment despite her pregnancy'Bella May Culley is being held in prison in Georgia(Image: NCJ Media)Lee, a former TUI flight attendant, said
she was set up(Image: instagram.com/charlottemaylee)Article continues below Airport security - both in the UK and abroad - is now said to be on high alert for suspicious behaviour that
staff may associate with drug smuggling. Culley, for instance, was snagged in Georgia after allegedly carrying 14kg of cannabis into the ex-Soviet nation from Thailand, where she had been
holidaying.
And Lee, a former TUI flight attendant, is locked up in a Sri Lankan prison after police allegedly discovered 46kg of "Kush" - a synthetic strain of cannabis - in her suitcase when she
arrived on a flight from Thailand.
A flurry of similar cases have followed including 36-year-old OnlyFans model Clara Wilson, from Nottinghamshire, 21-year-old Cameron Bradford, from Hertfordshire, and 29-year-old Kimberly
Hall, from Middlesbrough, who have all been arrested on suspicion of smuggling abroad.
Gary Carroll, an expert witness in drug cases, told Mail Online crooks are targeting young people, particularly women, on social media. Mr Carroll, who spent 14 years in policing before
becoming a witness, told the publication: "It's (social media) created a gateway for suppliers to target and make connections with young, well-travelled, glamorous ladies and girls that are
seeking that ability to travel the world and afford to do so.
"Smuggling drugs or packages where they're not entirely sure of the contents in exchange for free holidays and cash seems quite a lucrative offer."
William ‘Billy Boy' Eastment, who loves fishing, is said to have had 5kg of meth on his possession in Chile (Image: Daily Mirror) Mr Carroll, from Claymore Advisory Group, said he has worked
on cases where the "common denominator" is free accommodation, free flights, spending money and some cash with which to come home. He added: "I've even seen business class being thrown in
there to sweeten the deal. It's almost the perfect package for those that want to travel, take all the pictures for social media at no expense of their own."
Dr David Holmes, a leading criminal psychologist, warned Brits to be vigilant on holiday as he said some gang members will brazenly approach tourists on beaches with offers to join the murky
underworld.
He said: "It's anyone they think looks innocent enough to get through customs, and yet still be dodgy enough to do the deal. It may be that Brits are the flavour of the month - and I would
imagine it's quite more likely that Brits are the flavour of the month with airport security.. That's why they are being picked up more, because they are being picked on more."
Article continues below Police in Sri Lanka, meanwhile, insist Lee - arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle 101lb (46kg) the synthetic strain of cannabis into the country - is "in a lot
of trouble". The Brit faces up to 25 years in a tough maximum-security jail in Sri Lanka if she is convicted.
Trending News
Glaxo's advair cut risk of death 17. 5% in lung disease patients: studyA new study may provide hope for the tens of millions of Americans who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COP...
PREVIEW-US judge to decide fate of West Penn investor talks* Decision could push healthcare system toward suitors - or bankruptcy* Insurer seeks to block suitors, says West Penn b...
It’s Time for Robinson to Use His Bag of TricksL.A. Times Archives Jan. 4, 1986 12 AM PT Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit...
Fire breaks out at hospital in north Kashmir’s TangmargFire broke out at a hospital in tourist resort of Tangmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Saturday Reports sai...
Conor mcgregor's coach lucky he wasn't at ufc 223 media dayEarlier this month, McGregor and a group of his friends stormed the event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn looking for...
Latests News
Reason Brit 'drug mules' are 'flavour of the month' for criminal gangs is exposed - The MirrorReason Brit 'drug mules' are 'flavour of the month' for criminal gangs is exposedRecently, Bella Culley, from Billingham...
6 takeaways from the 2022 midterm election that's not over yetUPDATED NOVEMBER 9, 2022 AT 11:16 AM ET _Follow live updates and election results here._ This is why it's always im...
GM: Requesting $9 Million CEO Pay, Not $11.1 MillionGeneral Motors refutes reports the company requested a 20 percent pay raise for CEO Dan Akerson. Late Monday CNBC report...
#aapmantrisummoned: satyendar jain gives himself a clean chitDelhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain today tried to downplay the summons served to him by the Income Tax department and ...
Cramer: lululemon's ceo should not resign, sell the stockThe announcement that Lululemon's CEO, Christine Day, will step down was a bad decision, CNBC's Jim Cramer sai...