Friends of alleged British drug smuggler Charlotte May Lee said she was besotted with a man named ‘Rocko’ before she was arrested in Sri Lanka, accused of carring £1m of cannabis
A British woman accused of being a drug smuggler had fallen for a mystery man, her friends say – and they think it could be vital for her defence. Charlotte May Lee, 21, is accused of carrying large quantities of cannabis valued at more than £1million into Sri Lanka from Thailand.
The young Brit faces up to 25 years behind bars if she is found guilty. The part-time beautician from Chipstead, Surrey is currently being held in a “rotting” cell near the capital of Colombo after she was arrested at Bandaranaike Airport. She has been held in custody since last Monday.
Pals told The Sun that Charlotte was besotted with a man named Rocko. They think this could help her defence if she pleads not guilty in the next court hearing. An unknown British man reportedly was waiting for Charlotte when she arrived in Sri Lanka.
It comes as another Brit, Bella May Culley, was arrested in Georgia on suspicion of drug offences. Her family says she flew to Thailand to meet with a mystery man following a string of loved up social media posts.
Speaking to The Mirror, her grandfather William Culley, 80, said she “went to see some lad out there”. He added: “She went to the Philippines to see somebody, a lad there, who she used to go out with a couple of years ago, who was working out there.”
In one video on her TikTok, Bella likened herself to Bonnie from the infamous criminal duo Bonnie and Clyde, posting about engaging in “criminal activities side by side” and “making heavy figures”. She wrote in a caption: “Blonde or brunette? Erm how about we get up to criminal activities side by side like Bonnie n Clyde making heavy figures and f****** on balconies all over the world.”
Another video is captioned: “Don’t care if we on the run baby as long as I’m next to u.”
A friend said Charlotte, meanwhile, is finding it tough behind bars, with her cleaning regime merely a glass of water being poured over her head. The friend said her pal is “struggling” and is a “mess”. Yesterday she was told in court that she may not be sentenced for another 12 months and could face 25 years in jail at the brutal Welikada Prison if convicted.
In her mugshot, Charlotte can be seen looking nervously at the camera while dressed in an all-white outfit and shiny sandals. New images also show drugs in large vacuum-sealed bags, which were allegedly put into her luggage and found at the airport. The bags were stacked up and laid out on a table with members of Colombo’s Police Narcotic Unit standing behind.
Charlotte has said she was not aware 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.” She added: “I know who did it.”
Charlotte 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.