Charlotte May Lee, 21, was stopped at an airport in Sri Lanka with authorities claiming she was carrying cannabis valued at more than £1m – she says she had no idea it was there
A former TUI stewardess allegedly caught with cannabis valued at £1.2million in Sri Lanka claims she was set up and knows who did it. Charlotte May Lee, 21, is accused of trying to smuggle the synthetic cannabis drug ‘kush’ into Sri Lanka.
She was arrested after landing in Sri Lanka from Thailand last week, and is accused of having 46kg of the drug in her luggage. The part-time beautician from Chipstead, Surrey is currently being held in a “rotting” cell near the capital of Colombo, where she awaits her first court appearance today. She had just landed from Bangkok when she was arrested at Bandaranaike Airport and she has been held in custody since last Monday.
READ MORE: Charlotte May Lee LIVE: TUI stewardess ‘drugs mule’ speaks from Sri Lanka prison
Currently she is at Negombo Prison, north of the capital, and has said she was completely unaware that there were drugs in her luggage.
She told MailOnline: “I had never seen them before. I didn’t expect it all when they pulled me over at the airport. I thought it was going to be filled with all my stuff. I had been in Bangkok the night before and had already packed my clothes because my flight was really early.
“So I left my bags in the hotel room and headed for the night out. As they were already packed I didn’t check them again in the morning. They must have planted it then.” And she added: “I know who did it.”
Miss Lee said she had been working on a “booze cruise” in Thailand. She claimed she took a trip to Sri Lanka nearby as her 30-day visa was about to expire and she could wait there before getting a new one.
“I thought while I was waiting for the visa that I’d come to Sri Lanka. They [the people she believed planted the drugs] were supposed to meet me here. But now I’m here – stuck in this jail,” she said.
After her arrest she was held for a week at the Police Narcotics Bureau and fears a long sentence if she is convicted. One pal who had spoken to her since she was detained told the Sun: “She thinks she’s going away for a long time. She is scared but talks of becoming very friendly with a prison guard.”
While she is currently able to see visitors 9.30am until 4.30pm during the day, this will become heavily restricted once she is formally charged in court today, leaving her feeling “scared”, her friend added. It is understood Charlotte’s family will not be flying over to visit her.
The 21-year-old ex-TUI stewardess is also said to be “aware” of the recent case involving 18-year-old Bella May Culley , who was detained at Tbilisi Airport, Georgia this month for allegedly carrying 14kg of cannabis in her bag.