A former flight attendant is facing up to 25 years in prison in Sri Lanka after being caught with over 100 pounds of a deadly synthetic drug made partly from human bones.
Charlotte May Lee, 21, from south London, was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo earlier this month. Authorities allege she was transporting suitcases filled with “kush,” a potent and dangerous new drug that originated in West Africa and is blamed for multiple weekly deaths in Sierra Leone.
The stash, valued at approximately $3.3 million, marks the largest kush drug bust in Sri Lankan history. Customs officials said the seizure was made on May 12. Lee’s lawyer, Sampath Perera, stated that she claims the drugs were planted in her luggage without her knowledge.
Lee is currently detained in a prison north of Colombo under reportedly harsh conditions, including sleeping on a concrete floor. Her lawyer confirmed she has been able to stay in contact with her family.
Customs officers publicly displayed the massive drug haul, which could lead to a 25-year sentence if Lee is convicted.
According to her lawyer, Lee had been working in Thailand and traveled to Sri Lanka after her 30-day visa expired. She planned to return to Thailand once her visa was renewed.
Speaking from prison, Lee told the media she had no idea her luggage contained illegal substances. “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 said. Lee also implied she knew who might have planted the drugs but declined to name the individual.
Kush has gained popularity, particularly among young men, due to its intense effects. Users have been reported to collapse in public or even walk into traffic while under the influence. One of its ingredients is said to be ground-up human bones, prompting grave robberies in Sierra Leone to feed demand. The country’s president, Julius Maada Bio, declared a state of emergency last year, calling the drug an “existential crisis” and a “death trap.”
Lee’s case coincides with the arrest of another British woman, Bella Culley from County Durham, who was detained in Georgia on May 10. Culley allegedly attempted to smuggle over 30 pounds of marijuana and hashish into the country via the United Arab Emirates. Georgian authorities accused her of illegal drug importation and storage.
Sri Lankan officials say there’s been a sharp rise in drug trafficking through Bangkok and suggested Lee’s arrest came as a result of targeted profiling. “Another passenger who had left Bangkok airport around the same time was arrested in another country,” a senior customs officer noted. “We arrested this lady based on profiling. This has become a serious nuisance.”