Netflix reality star caught smuggling £150k worth of drugs on flight from Thailand after trying to fund lavish lifestyle
A FORMER Netflix reality star was caught smuggling £150,000 worth of drugs on a flight from Thailand.
Olga Bednarska, 27, was stopped by customs officers at Manchester Airport with two large suitcases containing 40kg of cannabis.
The influencer, who appeared on Netflix show Too Hot to Handle, claimed she was given the bags by a pal called “Tex”.
Bednarska said Tex paid for her flights and wanted her to bring back designer clothes and watches from Phuket.
She was arrested and later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a class B drug.
Bednarska, who has been in custody since her arrest in October, wept as she was spared a prison term and instead handed a suspended sentence.
Judge John Potter said the ex-reality star had landed herself in £16,000 of debt while trying to find her lavish lifestyle.
The court heard Bednarska had “lived beyond her means” so resorted to crime to wipe the debt.
She agreed to fly to Thailand on an all-expenses-paid trip to export designer items out of the country in return for £18,000.
On October 10, she met with an “associate” of her friend Tex before checking into her free hotel room.
Bednarska was then given “spending money“, which she used to buy the two suitcases for the smuggled goods.
She was asked to provide items to “cover up” the apparent clothes and watches and was meant to have nothing more to do with it.
But when she flew home on October 20, Bednarska was stopped by Border Force officials and confirmed she had packed the bags herself.
She was asked to unlock the suitcases but was unable to do so as she did not have the code.
Bednarska then told the officials she had been given the bags at the airport.
Hidden beneath her clothes were a number of vacuum sealed bags of cannabis.
The total weight was 39.4kg, which was said to be worth around £157,600.
Judge Potter said: “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.”
Bednarska was handed a 20-month sentence, which was suspended for two years.
She was also ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirements.
Bednarska, who is originally from Poland but lives in Manchester, appeared on Series 3 of Too Hot to Handle.