A BRIT former flight attendant accused of smuggling £1.2 million worth of cannabis today appeared in front of a Sri Lankan court.
Part-time beautician Charlotte May Lee appeared to be in tears as she was wheeled into the court by local cops.
BBC BreakfastCharlotte May Lee today appeared in a Sri Lankan court[/caption]
BBC BreakfastCharlotte was seen wearing handcuffs[/caption]
BBC BreakfastThe Brit was arrested last week after cops found two suitcases stuffed with 46kg of synthetic drug kush[/caption]
Sri Lanka PoliceSri Lankan cops released a photo of the seized bags of drugs Charlotte was allegedly caught with[/caption]
The Brit was arrested last week after cops found two suitcases stuffed with 46kg of synthetic drug kush — which is 25 times more potent than opioid fentanyl.
If found guilty, South Londoner Charlotte could face a 25-year sentence.
The Brit claimed that she didn’t know she was smuggling drugs into Sri Lanka before she was detained – and called her allegations “made up”.
She appeared in front of a court today after languishing in a “hell-hole” prison for days.
Charlotte from Surrey was stopped by Sri Lankan customs officials after stepping off a flight from Thailand on Monday last week.
Speaking from behind bars, she said she had “no idea” that there were drugs in her luggage when she left Bangkok.
She claimed: “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.”
The young Brit believes those packets of drugs were planted in her luggage in a planned move by dangerous dealers in Southeast Asia.
Kush, a highly addictive synthetic drug, has claimed the lives of thousands in West Africa where it first appeared in 2022 – and is spreading globally at an alarming rate.
The dirt-cheap drug is cut with an array of additives including acetone, the opioid tramadol and formalin, a toxic chemical commonly used to preserve bodies in mortuaries.
Her pals believe she was besotted by a mystery man named Rocko – a key piece of information which could be crucial to her defence.
Prosecutors will argue her experience as a stewardess with holiday airline TUI proves she “knew to check her luggage before a flight”.
Her friends revealed that Charlotte is struggling behind bars after her arrest due to the shocking conditions.
The part-time nail technician told friends she has not been allowed medication.
And her cleaning regime consists of “having a glass of water poured over her head”.
A friend said: “She is struggling. We’re so scared for her. She is a mess.”
She can only use her phone while on remand in jail in Colombo for “emergency calls”.
Fears have been growing that Charlotte’s case could be linked to that of 18-year-old Bella May Culley, who was arrested in Georgia after allegedly being caught with a suitcase of cannabis.
Student nurse Bella had also told loved ones she was meeting a man in the Philippines who had moved to the country from the North East during her travels.
The backpacker’s social media went on to show her clearly in the company of a male stranger – but he was never clearly pictured or named.
Her grandad William Culley, 80, revealed last Wednesday that she appears to have spent most of March in Thailand but also spent time in the Philippines with a man called “Ross or Russ”.
Sri Lanka PoliceCharlotte May Lee booking picture after she was caught[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
