A 21-year-old British former flight attendant, Charlotte May Lee, is facing a possible 25-year jail sentence after being arrested in Sri Lanka for allegedly smuggling 46 kilograms of synthetic cannabis known as “Kush” into the country.
Charlotte, from Coulsdon in South London, was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo after arriving on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand. Authorities reportedly discovered a massive stash of cannabis in her luggage, valued at £1.2 million.
According to a report by MailOnline, the former TUI employee broke down in tears during her court appearance. She was seen being escorted by police to a prison van outside the court, and visibly struggled to follow the court proceedings, which were conducted in Sinhalese, the official language of Sri Lanka.
The accused was held briefly in a courtroom cell before being taken to the witness box. Authorities also wheeled in the drugs as evidence, showing the nearly 50kg haul seized during her arrest. Charlotte is expected to return to court in two weeks as investigations continue.
Speaking from the woman’s ward of a notorious Sri Lankan prison, Charlotte maintains her innocence, claiming she had no idea the drugs were in her suitcase.
“I had never seen them before. I didn’t expect it at all when they pulled me over. I thought it was going to be filled with all my stuff,” she told MailOnline.
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Charlotte revealed that she had been in Bangkok the previous night and packed her bags early due to her flight schedule. After leaving the packed luggage in her hotel room, she went out for the night and didn’t check her bags again before departure.
“They must have planted it then,” she claimed. “I know who did it.”
Charlotte said she had been working temporarily on a “booze cruise” in Thailand. With her 30-day visa expiring, she decided to travel to Sri Lanka, just a three-hour flight away, while waiting for a new Thai visa.
“They [those who allegedly set her up] were supposed to meet me here. But now I’m stuck in this jail,” she added.
Charlotte’s case continues to attract international attention, with many watching closely to see how the Sri Lankan justice system handles the claims of innocence in one of the country's biggest drug busts in recent months.
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