Netflix reality star caught with £150,000 of drugs
Olga Bednarska, a 27-year-old reality star from Netflix hit Too Hot to Handle, has avoided prison after being caught attempting to smuggle £150,000 worth of cannabis into the UK.
Bednarska was arrested in October at Manchester Airport when customs officers found 40kg of cannabis hidden in two large suitcases. She claimed the luggage was given to her by a friend, known only as “Tex,” who had financed her trip to Thailand.
The court heard that Bednarska, originally from Poland but living in Manchester, had accrued £16,000 in debt and had resorted to crime in an attempt to alleviate her financial burdens. In exchange for an all-expenses-paid trip to Thailand, she agreed to transport designer items back to the UK for £18,000. However, the “designer items” concealed vacuum-sealed bags of cannabis.
During the trial, Bednarska admitted to being involved in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug. While acknowledging the serious nature of her actions, Judge John Potter imposed a 20-month sentence, suspended for two years, citing her limited role in the operation and personal circumstances. She was also ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirements.
The prosecution revealed that Bednarska met with an associate of her friend Tex in Thailand, who provided her with funds to purchase suitcases and “cover-up items.” Upon her return to the UK, she initially told Border Force officials she had packed the bags herself. However, she later claimed the luggage was handed to her at the airport, and she was unable to unlock the cases as she did not have the codes.
When the suitcases were eventually opened, officials found cannabis concealed beneath clothing. Prosecutor Samuel Eskdale noted Bednarska’s conflicting accounts during her initial questioning, including her admission that Tex had funded her flights and instructed her to bring back items.
Judge Potter, in his sentencing remarks, criticised Bednarska’s decision to trust individuals she barely knew, highlighting the broader societal harm caused by drug trafficking. Despite this, he recognised her lack of prior criminal activity and the coercion involved in her decision-making.
The case underscores the risks faced by individuals who become entangled in drug smuggling schemes and the significant penalties such actions carry, even when carried out under financial duress.