COLOMBO, SRI LANKA — Charlotte May Lee, a 21-year-old former cabin crew member from Coulsdon, South London, was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo on Monday after attempting to smuggle 46kg of Kush, a high-grade strain of cannabis, into Sri Lanka.
Lee arrived on a flight from Bangkok, and Sri Lankan authorities found the drugs tightly packed in her luggage. Officials from the Customs Narcotics Control Unit revealed that this seizure marks the largest amount of Kush ever detected at the airport. The drugs are valued at an estimated £1.5 million, or 460 million Sri Lankan rupees, and were reportedly intended for high-end local buyers.
Currently, Lee has been remanded in custody as the Sri Lanka Police Narcotics Bureau continues to investigate the case. If convicted, she could face serious legal consequences under Sri Lankan drug laws.
Lee was previously employed as a flight attendant, and her social media accounts show her posing in uniform and inside aircraft cockpits. However, more recently, she had been training to become a lash technician. Friends of Lee say she had traveled to Thailand in April to celebrate her 21st birthday with her sister, who lives in Australia. In the days leading up to her arrest, Lee posted content on her social media, including a TikTok video taken during a flight with a Bangkok location tag.
Her Instagram featured images of white-sand beaches and vibrant nightlife scenes, suggesting she had returned to Southeast Asia.
The British Foreign Office has confirmed that it is aware of Lee’s arrest and is providing consular support.
Lee’s arrest has shocked her family and friends, who had no knowledge of any criminal activity. Authorities are now working to uncover how the drugs were acquired and whether Lee was acting alone or as part of a larger trafficking operation.
