Charlotte May Lee arrested after landing in Colombo with 46kg of kush in her suitcases
A young British woman is facing decades behind bars in a notorious Sri Lankan prison after being caught with a staggering £1.2 million worth of synthetic drugs.
Charlotte May Lee, 21, a former air stewardess from Chipstead, Surrey, was arrested on Monday after arriving in Colombo on a flight from Thailand. Her two suitcases were reportedly packed with 46kg of kush, a potent synthetic drug said to be far stronger than fentanyl.
Cramped and dangerous conditions
Charlotte is now being held in a grim, overcrowded jail cell with 20 other women. Conditions have been described as so cramped there is “hardly room to lie down.” She is awaiting a court appearance and has reportedly been warned she could face between 20 and 25 years in prison if convicted.
One family friend told The Sun: “We’re frantically worried. She was arrested then seemingly abandoned and is rotting in a jail cell. She’s very scared.”
A holiday gone wrong
Charlotte had travelled to Thailand just weeks ago, following what relatives described as a painful break-up. Loved ones said she had made vague references to meeting a man abroad, though it remains unclear who that was.
Her arrest has drawn comparisons to the recent case of 18-year-old Bella May Culley, who was detained in Georgia last week after allegedly trying to smuggle £200,000 worth of cannabis.
Synthetic kush a growing global threat
Kush, the drug found in Charlotte’s luggage, has become notorious for its lethal potency and is often cut with dangerous chemicals. It has already claimed thousands of lives across parts of Africa and is increasingly being smuggled across international borders.
British Embassy officials in Colombo have confirmed they are aware of Charlotte’s case. According to reports, they’ve warned her she is “going nowhere soon.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has yet to release a statement. Charlotte’s family is said to be seeking legal support as they come to terms with the prospect of her serving a major portion of her life in a foreign prison.
