Drug mule mum issues warning to Bella Culley and Charlotte Lee after 'months of torture'

A glamorous British mum who was caught smuggling drugs from New York with her pal has revealed the one piece of advice she'd give to alleged drug mules Bella May Culley and Charlotte May Lee as they await trial abroad.

Sophie Bannister, 30, and Levi-April Whalley, 31, from Blackburn, told shopping spree in New York City when they were stopped at Birmingham International Airport in 2023. However, their bags were searched and more than 35kg of cannabis - to the street value of over £160,000 - were quickly discovered.

When 70 heat-sealed packages were found hidden away in the luggage, panicked Whalley insisted the parcels contained watches. But the truth soon unravelled, as text messages revealed that the high-flying pals were part of a major plot to bring drugs into the UK. Both women sobbed when they were handed 18-month suspended sentences at Preston Crown Court last month.

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And now Levi has spoken out about the latest spate of British women being accused of drug smuggling abroad, offering advice for two young women, and , who are facing the harsh reality of international drug smuggling charges. After being arrested abroad, they await their fates behind bars in described as 'hell'. Both women deny the charges they face.

Bella, an 18-year-old nursing student from Teesside, was first reported missing in Thailand. It later was revealed she'd been arrested in Georgia, where she was allegedly caught attempting to smuggle 14kg of into the country. During her appearance, Bella claimed she is pregnant. She is now being held in Tbilisi Prison Number 5 - a facility reportedly filled with sewage and poor living conditions, and could face a life sentence.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Charlotte May Lee, a former TUI air hostess from Coulsdon, was arrested in after being caught with two suitcases allegedly containing synthetic cannabis worth £1.2 million. The drug, known as kush, is said to contain a highly addictive blend of a number of drugs, chemicals and, shockingly, even human remains. She now faces a possible sentence of 20 to 25 years behind bars.

Although the women are not believed to have any links to each other, they now find themselves in similarly terrifying situations - far from home, alone, and with their futures uncertain.

For Levi, the news feels close to home. Their situations serve as a chilling reminder of just how her future could have looked if the judge hadn't spared her from prison. "I believe if I was caught abroad it would have been a complete different outcome for myself," she told the . "I believe I would have been in the same situation as them. I feel relieved that I did get caught in the UK looking at them."

While Levi did avoid prison, she still describes the whole ordeal as "torture". "I've had to live with this hanging over me for 16 months," she said, describing the toll the experience has taken. "Not being able to travel and being suspended at work, having to rebuild my whole life and then also becoming a mother."

New mum Levi believes there could be much more to Bella and Charlotte's story. "I highly feel they are victims," she claimed. "I don't know the ins and outs, but from my own experience, they seem to have been in similar situations to me - I was just following what my friend was doing and influenced negatively without thinking of consequences due to where I was in my life then."

She continued: "I was not in a good place and could say I was somewhat vulnerable at the time. These are two young girls, and I believe that's probably the same situation for them." The court heard that both Levi and her friend Sophie were vulnerable to exploitation due to their own personal and financial circumstances.

But Levi knows the severity of her crime. "Just because I had a suspended sentence, should not set a precedent for others to do it," she said. "[This situation] shows that people don't always get the outcome we had, and should now make people aware of the actual dangers of bringing someone's suitcase back."

And if there's one message she wants people to walk away with, it's this: "I hope going forward people see the severity of this offence."

"If I had a chance to speak to Bella and Charlotte, I would tell them to just to tell the truth and be honest," she said. "I hope they are OK, and I understand exactly what they are going through. I can imagine how worried they are and really hope the truth does come out."

Reflecting on how far she's come, Levi added: "I have learnt going forward in my life to stop hanging around with negative people who bring out the worst in me, and they need to really change their life around from this."

Bella May Culley and Charlotte May Lee both deny committing drug trafficking offences.