Was she a naive victim or part of an organized drug network? A young British woman has been arrested in Sri Lanka under dramatic circumstances.

Charlotte May Lee, 21, a former flight attendant, was apprehended on May 12, 2025, at the airport in Colombo with a whopping 46 kilograms of “Kush” cannabis in her luggage. The street value: around $1.4 million.

According to the British BBC, the young woman had traveled to Sri Lanka from Bangkok. During a routine baggage check, customs officials discovered the drugs, packed in suitcases and travel bags. According to authorities, this is the largest seizure of its kind at Bandaranaike Airport since it opened in 1967.

“Someone planted this on me.”

Lee, who worked as a beauty technician in Coulsdon, south London, claims she had no idea about the drugs. In an initial interview, she told British tabloid The Sun that she had met a British man named “Rocko” during her stay in Thailand, who allegedly helped her pack. The British Embassy in Colombo has also been notified and is in close contact with her family, the BBC added.

The 21-year-old has been held in Negombo prison since her arrest, which, according to the Evening Standard, is notorious for its appalling conditions: cells designed for 150 women are said to be overcrowded with more than 600 inmates. Rats, inadequate medical care, and a lack of clean water are apparently part of everyday life there.

Parallels to a case in Georgia

The Charlotte Lee case is now raising questions in the UK, mainly because of similarities to a second case: Bella May Culley, 18, was arrested just a few weeks ago in Georgia with 14 kilograms of cannabis, also after a stay in Bangkok. Both women report dubious contacts while traveling and possible manipulation by men, as reported by the Guardian.

Authorities in Sri Lanka are now investigating whether there are links between the two cases – possibly an indication of an organized network that specifically targets young female tourists. According to The Guardian, investigators are currently looking into whether social networks or dating platforms were used to lure the women with false promises of “dream vacations” or “quick money.”

The law is the law

Sri Lanka has strict drug laws. Even the possession of large quantities, as in Lee’s case, is treated as smuggling under criminal law – regardless of whether the person concerned knew about the drugs or not. If Charlotte Lee is convicted, she faces up to 25 years in prison in the high-security Welikada prison, according to The Sun.

The case shows once again how risky naive recklessness or unintentional involvement in international drug routes can be – and how brutal the consequences can be, even for young first-time offenders.

Image:
charlottemaylee/instagram charlotte may lee/