A second British woman is jailed in Sri Lanka after smuggling £1.2m of Kush from Bangkok. Charlotte May Lee, 21, wept in court as she was sent to a filthy, overcrowded prison. Friends fear she was groomed by a mystery man. She claims the drugs were planted.
A second UK woman has been arrested for smuggling cannabis-based illicit narcotics out of Thailand. On Wednesday, a visibly emotional Charlotte May Lee appeared before a court in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The 21-year-old is accused of trafficking £1.2 million worth of the deadly vaped drug Kush into the country from Bangkok. In a case strikingly similar to that of 18-year-old UK tourist Bella May Culley, earlier arrested in Georgia, it is believed that Ms Lee may have been exploited by a boyfriend based in Thailand. Both women were taken into custody just 24 hours apart, on Sunday and Monday, May 11 and 12. On Wednesday, Thailand’s Minister of Public Health, Somsak Thepsuthin, announced an urgent crackdown on cannabis smuggling out of the kingdom. The move is widely believed to be a direct response to these recent arrests.
Charlotte May Lee wept in court today as she was remanded into Sri Lanka’s most notorious women’s prison. The 21-year-old Brit, accused of smuggling £1.2 million worth of synthetic drugs into Colombo, now faces 12 months in jail before her trial even begins. Worse still, if convicted, she could spend 20 to 25 years behind bars in Welikada Prison — a hellish facility plagued by overcrowding, disease and riots.
Since her arrest last Monday, Charlotte has been held without bail under Sri Lanka’s harsh narcotics laws.
British woman held without bail in Sri Lanka’s most overcrowded prison as drug charges enquiry rolls on
Today, a judge ordered her to remain at Welikada while prosecutors complete their investigation. As of now, she is banned from using a phone or contacting anyone outside the prison walls.
“She was crying a lot,” a prison source said. “The penny has finally dropped. She knows she’s in deep trouble.”
The same official added: “This prison is not fit for a rat. But she’s been told to get used to it.”
Charlotte was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport on Monday, May 12 after arriving on a flight from Bangkok. She was allegedly carrying a record haul of Kush — a deadly synthetic cannabinoid said to be 25 times stronger than fentanyl.
Authorities believe the packages were meant for distribution in Europe. According to Sri Lankan customs, the drugs were hidden inside vacuum-sealed plastic bags stuffed into her suitcase. These bags, officials noted, were almost identical to those found in a separate bust involving 18-year-old Brit Bella Culley in Georgia.
Although the two young women never met, both had told loved ones they planned to meet mystery men during their trips. Charlotte, in particular, had reportedly become infatuated with a British man she met in Thailand.
“She wouldn’t stop talking about him,” a friend said. “She said she was madly in love.”
Arrest at airport leads to suspicions of trafficking ring as second young Brit caught with vaped synthetic Kush
“He was meant to meet her in Colombo, but of course, she never got there. She got arrested instead.”
Even more disturbingly, the man has reportedly contacted her since her arrest — despite her being in custody.
“We’re really worried,” the same friend said. “It feels like she’s under his spell. Who is this guy? Police should be asking that too.”
Charlotte has since claimed the drugs were planted in her luggage.
“I had already packed my suitcase the night before because I had an early flight,” she said. “After that, I left it in the hotel room when I went out. I didn’t open it again the next morning. I thought it was just my clothes.”
She insists she never saw the drugs before landing in Colombo.
“I didn’t expect it at all when they pulled me over,” she said. “I was shocked. But, I know who did it.”
Charlotte, who previously worked as a TUI air stewardess, had left her job to travel Southeast Asia. Back in the UK, she lived in Coulsdon, Surrey, and worked part-time as a beautician.
Family and friends fear Charlotte was groomed as she claims her suitcase was tampered with in Thailand
Now, she is locked in a cell with hundreds of women — many of whom are serving long sentences for violent crimes. Welikada’s women’s wing was built for 150 inmates but currently holds over 650.
Due to overcrowding, Charlotte is forced to sleep in a corridor without a mattress, pillow, or even a blanket.
“The conditions are horrific,” said one prison staffer. “She lies on bare concrete. There’s nothing but rice and curry to eat.”
“She hates the food,” a source close to her added. “She’s struggling to eat, and she’s not keeping clean either.”
Inmates wash with a bucket of cold water. The only activity available is watching a broken TV shared by the entire wing. Despite her emotional state, Charlotte remains determined to prove her innocence.
She insists she was tricked and used as a mule by a criminal gang. Her claims follow a rising trend of Britons being recruited into Southeast Asian drug networks.
According to Thai police, many young Westerners are targeted online or through social circles.
Overcrowded and unsanitary jail pushes Charlotte to limit as Thai gangs prey on young Western travellers
Lieutenant Colonel Arun Musikim of Thailand’s Surat Thani Provincial Police explained:
“Cannabis is now legal in Thailand. The climate is perfect for growing it, especially on the southern islands.”
“As a result, gangs are using backpackers and unemployed Brits to carry it abroad.”
“They’re promised free holidays, hotels, even pocket money — all they have to do is carry a bag.”
“But most don’t even know who they’re really working for,” he added. “It’s a growing trend. We’ve seen many arrests this year.”
Charlotte fits that pattern. She travelled alone, booked budget accommodation, and met contacts in Bangkok. Although she claims innocence, the packaging method in her case suggests professional smugglers were involved.
The bags were sealed, stacked and compressed using industrial machines. Police suspect Charlotte’s arrest is just one piece of a wider trafficking chain. Customs officers in Sri Lanka say this type of Kush is flooding new markets across Asia and Africa.
Police link Kush trafficking to regional syndicate as UK mules unknowingly carry high-grade cannabis abroad
First identified in Sierra Leone and Nigeria in 2022, the drug is now spreading globally at speed. Kush is dirt-cheap to make and dangerously addictive. Users often suffer seizures, hallucinations, or collapse in the street after smoking it.
According to health experts, the chemical mix varies from batch to batch. Some include formalin, tramadol and even rat poison. Now, Sri Lanka is ramping up its crackdown on cross-border drug smuggling. British nationals have been caught with increasing frequency.
Most of them, officials say, claim they were framed or misled. But in Sri Lanka, that argument rarely works. Courts impose harsh sentences regardless of intent or background.
Charlotte’s legal team is preparing to argue that she was manipulated. They will likely point to her clean criminal record and history as a former flight attendant. Yet prison officials warn she should prepare for a long stay.
“She’s not the first young woman to end up here,” a senior officer said. “And she won’t be the last.”
Brutal Kush now spreads beyond Africa as Sri Lanka cracks down on smugglers with lengthy prison sentences
In the meantime, Charlotte has no access to her family, no phone, and no support. Her only contact with the outside world is through a lawyer. That lawyer, however, faces delays in securing trial dates or bail hearings.
With Sri Lanka’s legal system overwhelmed by drug cases, even preliminary court dates can take months.
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For now, Charlotte is trapped in one of Asia’s most feared prisons — a place described by insiders as “barely survivable.” Even if she is found not guilty, she could still spend a year or more behind bars before going home. And if convicted, she may never see home again.
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Further reading:
Health Minister Somsak launches regulatory blitz to outlaw non-medical cannabis use within 40 days
Outbound cannabis smuggling smashed by Chiang Mai police this week. Europe and London targeted
Buriram cannabis factory raided for illegal Vietnamese staff as drugs czar declares a new regime
UK ambassador meets top Thai officials to hear about plans to rein in cannabis as smuggling surges
UK holiday maker to Thailand lands in Heathrow Airport London with £1 million worth of cannabis
Dark web Xanax counterfeiting gang managed from Thailand smashed in the UK with 10 people convicted
Unlikely rags to riches convict star arrested again in Thailand over online gambling promotion
