A star of the Netflix reality show Too Hot to Handle was nabbed at Manchester Airport for smuggling £150,000 worth of cannabis from Thailand. Olga Bednarska had two large suitcases packed with 40kg of the class B drug.
The 27-year-old influencer claimed a friend named "Tex" gave her the bags and paid for her flights from Phuket under the guise of bringing back designer clothes and watches. Bednarska was arrested and later admitted to being involved in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a class B drug, reports the Mirror.
The former TV personality, who has been in custody since her arrest last month, broke down in tears when she received a suspended sentence instead of jail time. Judge John Potter revealed in court Bednarska had racked up a debt of £16,000 while trying to maintain her extravagant lifestyle.
The court heard she had "lived beyond her means" and resorted to crime to settle her debts. She agreed to an all-expenses-paid trip to Thailand to bring back designer items in exchange for £18,000.
On October 10, Bednarska met with an "associate" of Tex before checking into her complimentary hotel room. The Netflix star was given "spending money" to purchase two suitcases for the smuggled goods.
She was instructed to provide items to "cover up" the designer clothes and watches. After that, Bednarska was supposed to have no further involvement.
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Upon her return to the UK on October 20, Bednarska was greeted by Border Force officials. Despite confirming she packed the suitcases herself, when asked to unlock them, she couldn't produce the code - claiming the bags were provided at the airport.
Undergarments disguised several vacuum-sealed packages which contained cannabis with a street value of about £157,600 and weighing 39.4kg. Judge Potter remarked: "You decided to place your trust in someone you hardly knew. You were acting under the direction of others, potentially for further profit."
"I am sure you can imagine the harm that wholesale value drugs have on our communities when they are sold for profit. You have directly contributed to this by agreeing to do what you did."
Following these events, Bednarska received a 20-month suspended sentence and is required to fulfill 15 days of rehabilitation activities.
Known for her stint on Netflix's Too Hot to Handle, this Polish-born Manchester resident enjoys popularity on social media, frequently sharing her opulent travels.
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