Levi-April Whalley, along with fellow OnlyFans creator Sophie Bannister, were caught with 35kg of cannabis
An OnlyFans model has opened up about being caught smuggling £160,000 worth of drugs into the UK.
Levi-April Whalley, 31, along with fellow OnlyFans creator Sophie Bannister, 30, were caught with 35kg of cannabis by the Border Force.
The women were returning from a three day shopping trip in New York City when they were discovered with the drugs at Birmingham International Airport in 2023.
Once they arrived in the UK, officers found around £160,000 worth of cannabis within 70 heat sealed bags. However, at the time Levi-April claimed they contained watches.
Despite this claim, both women were convicted last month and received 18 month suspended sentences at Preston Crown Court. They also have to carry out unpaid work and rehabilitation.
But since then, Levi-April has opened up about her experience, sharing words of wisdom with two British women currently facing drugs charges abroad
Currently, Bella May Culley and Charlotte May Lee are both remanded in custody accused of various drugs charges. Both women deny the charges put against them.
Levi-April said they may be “victims”, noting that whilst she doesn’t know “the ins and outs” of the cases, the women seem to be in “similar situations” to the one she faced.
“I was not in a good place and could say I was somewhat vulnerable at the time,” she said. “These are two young girls, and I believe that’s probably the same situation for them.”
Bella, 18, from County Durham, is currently in a Georgian prison after being accused of smuggling drugs into the former Soviet nation.
The nursing student was reported missing earlier this month in Thailand but was later found incarcerated 4,000 miles away in Tblisi.
Bella has been accused of smuggling 14kg of cannabis into the country, and has recently announced that she is pregnant. If found guilty, she could face life in prison.
Charlotte, on the other hand, is facing 20 to 25 years in a Sri Lankan prison after being arrested under suspicion of drugs smuggling.
The 21-year-old former air hostess was allegedly in possession of two suitcases full of synthetic cannabis worth around £1.2 million.
Talking to The Mirror about her own experience, Levi-April said: “I believe if I was caught abroad it would have been a complete different outcome for myself.
“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.”
Levi-April via Instagram
She called her own experience “torture”, adding: “I’ve had to live with this hanging over me for 16 months. Not being able to travel and being suspended at work, having to rebuild my whole life and then also becoming a mother.”
The 31-year-old added that in her own case she was “just following what my friend was doing” without thinking of the consequences.
Levi-April also added that despite receiving a suspended sentence, she still understands the gravity of the situation, warning the two detained women: “[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.”
She continued by urging the two women to “tell the truth”, adding: “I can imagine how worried they are and really hope the truth does come out.”
Bella and Charlotte have both denied the charges against them.
Featured image via Instagram
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