Olga Bednarska, known for her appearance on the hit Netflix show Too Hot to Handle, was stopped by customs officers at Manchester Airport in October with two suitcases containing 40 kg of cannabis.

The 27-year-old who lives in Manchester initially claimed she was carrying the bags for a friend, "Tex," who had also paid for her flights and asked her to bring back designer clothes and watches from Phuket.

But upon inspecting the suitcases, customs officers uncovered vacuum-sealed bags of cannabis hidden beneath the clothes.

The drugs, weighing 39.4 kg, were valued at around €180,000.

Appearing in court, an emotional Bednarska said that she had been struggling financially, accumulating €19,180 in debt.

To resolve her financial problems, she had agreed to fly to Thailand on an all-expenses-paid trip to import the luxury goods for €21,600.

The influencer pleaded guilty to attempting to evade a prohibition on the importation of Class B drugs.

Sentencing her to a 20-month prison term suspended for two years, Judge John Potter said: “You simply lived beyond your means.

“You decided to place your trust in someone you hardly knew, and you were acting under the direction of others, potentially for further profit.”

He added: “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.”

In addition to a suspended sentence, Bednarska was also ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirements.