Charlotte May Lee, a 21-year-old former flight attendant from south London, was arrested on May 12 at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after authorities found 46 kilograms of a synthetic drug called “kush” in her luggage.
The drug was discovered in two large suitcases containing vacuum-sealed packages. Customs officials said the seizure is the largest kush bust at the airport since it opened in 1967. The street value of the drug is estimated at £1.2 million ($3.3 million).
Lee is currently held at Negombo Prison, north of Colombo, on suspicion of possession and attempted trafficking of illegal narcotics. She has not yet been formally charged. Her next court hearing is scheduled for July 13.
Lee denies knowing about the drugs and told MailOnline that the narcotics were likely planted in her suitcase while she was at a hotel in Bangkok. She said, “I had never seen them before. I didn’t expect it at all when they pulled me over at the airport. I thought it was going to be filled with all my stuff.” She also said, “I know who did it.”
During a court hearing on May 30, Lee’s lawyer, Sampath Perera, requested testing of the seized material to confirm it is an illegal drug. The magistrate ordered that a report be submitted as soon as possible.
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Perera said a bail application is being prepared but noted that under Sri Lankan law such applications can take up to three months.
Lee described prison conditions to the BBC, saying she shares a cell with five other women, sleeps on a thin mattress on a concrete floor, and uses her clothes as a pillow. She also said she has not spoken to her family since her arrest.
The drug kush is a synthetic cannabinoid that originated in West Africa, particularly Sierra Leone. It is chemically produced and often mixed with substances such as formalin, tramadol, acetone, and synthetic cannabinoids. There are reports it may contain powdered human bones from disturbed graves. Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has called the drug a “death trap” and an “existential crisis.”
Use of kush has been linked to hallucinations, blackouts, and accidental deaths. Since 2022, stronger variants containing nitazenes, opioids up to 25 times more potent than fentanyl, have appeared.
Sri Lankan customs officials stated that Lee’s arrest might be part of a larger trafficking network, mentioning that another passenger from Bangkok was arrested in a different country on the same day under similar circumstances. Lee was apprehended based on profiling.
Lee told the BBC that she had been working on a booze cruise in Thailand before traveling to Sri Lanka to renew her Thai visa. She said she left her packed bags unattended in a hotel before her flight.
If convicted, Lee could face 15 to 25 years in prison under Sri Lankan narcotics laws.
This article is based entirely on information reported by the multiple reputable news sources as cited. No opinions, interpretations, or unverified claims have been added. Our writers carefully researched these sources to deliver an accurate and factual report.
