Olga Bednarska, a 27-year-old former star of Netflix’s popular reality show Too Hot to Handle was apprehended at Manchester Airport. Bednarska, who had flown back from an all-expenses-paid trip to Thailand, was caught attempting to smuggle cannabis worth £150,000 into the United Kingdom.
The happened in October when Bednarska arrived at Manchester Airport carrying two large suitcases. Upon inspection by customs officers, the bags were found to contain 40 kilograms of vacuum-sealed cannabis concealed beneath layers of clothing. Bednarska, originally from Poland but residing in Manchester, initially claimed to have packed the bags herself but later alleged that they had been handed to her by an acquaintance at the airport.
Bednarska had embarked on the luxury trip to Phuket, Thailand, after being contacted by a friend known only as “Tex.” According to her testimony, Tex promised her £18,000 to cover her financial debts, along with first-class treatment, including paid flights and hotel accommodations. She was instructed to bring back designer clothes and watches as part of the arrangement.
Prosecutor Samuel Eskdale explained, “When questioned by Border Force officials, Ms. Bednarska claimed she packed the suitcases herself. However, she later changed her story, stating that the bags were given to her at the airport. She further claimed she did not have the codes to unlock them.”
Despite her protestations, Border Force officers opened the luggage and discovered drugs hidden behind clothing.
Bednarska had been living beyond her means, accumulating debts totaling £16,000. Bednarska admitted she was desperate to resolve her financial problems and had agreed to the trip under the guise of smuggling luxury items, unaware—or so she claimed—of the true contents of the suitcases.
In court, Bednarska pleaded guilty to charges of being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug.
Judge John Potter handed Bednarska a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
“You knowingly took part in a criminal operation of considerable scale,” the judge remarked. “Although you were a courier and not the mastermind, your actions facilitated the importation of a substantial quantity of illegal drugs into this country.”
Further details revealed that Bednarska had met with an associate of Tex shortly after her arrival in Thailand. The individual provided her with spending money and assisted in purchasing the suitcases. Alongside the illicit cargo, the bags also contained clothing and accessories intended to serve as “cover-up items.”
