A BRIT jailed in Sri Lanka over serious smuggling accusations has claimed the drugs found in her suitcase were “planted” on her.
Charlotte May Lee, 21, has pleaded her innocence in her first statement since her arrest – even revealing she knows exactly who set her up.
Charlotte May Lee pictured in Bangkok, Thailand
Tim StewartFormer air stewardess Charlotte, 21, could be sent to the country’s notorious maximum security prison which is severely overcrowded[/caption]
Charlotte has also hit out the horror prison conditions she is living in
The Brit will appear in court for the first time today – after languishing in a “hell-hole” prison for days.
Charlotte may soon be moved to the maximum security Welikada Prison in appalling conditions as she fears a 25-year jail term if convicted under Sri Lanka’s strict anti-drug laws.
The part-time beautician, of Chipstead in Surrey, was stopped by Sri Lankan customs officials after stepping off a flight from Thailand on Monday last week.
It was claimed her two suitcases were stuffed full of 46kg of super-strong ‘Kush’ marijuana – which is 25 times more potent than powerful opioid fentanyl.
Speaking to MailOnline from behind bars Charlotte 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 the huge amount of illegal substances were planted in her luggage in a planned move by dangerous dealers in Southeast Asia.
And Charlotte has now said: “I know who did it.”
She revealed: “They [the people she believed planted the drugs] were supposed to meet me here. But now I’m here – stuck in this jail.”
Negombo Prison is a notorious jail in Sri Lanka with a dark past.
Charlotte says the rumours around the conditions the women and men are made to live in are all true.
She said: “It is hard. I feel as though I have no human rights here.
“There are no beds, no blankets. And where you sleep is like a long corridor with lots of other women.
“I am sleeping on a concrete floor – literally. All I have is my jumper as a pillow.
“I only have this one pair of clothes, nothing else to change into and I’m not being allowed my medication for ADHD.”
Charlotte also said the shower is just a bucket of water with a broken TV the only activity available.
The first court hearing begins today over the discovery of £1.2 million worth of kush found in Charlotte’s luggageInstagram
Tim StewartFormer stewardess Charlotte May Lee who was arrested on May 12, 2025 in Sri Lanka[/caption]
If convicted the Brit could end up in the infamous Welikada Prison which is said to be “hell” for female inmates especially
Another major issue the Brit, from Coulsdon, is facing is eating.
She said: “I’ve not eaten in two days because the food is just too spicy for me.
“I have told my lawyers – I have three of them – that I need different food. They said they would sort that but they still haven’t. I don’t know why.
“Fortunately, some of the girls speak English and have shared biscuits and things like that with me, which is nice.”
Her first hearing begins today over the discovery of £1.2 million worth of kush found in her luggage.
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.
It comes as a friend of Charlotte’s revealed she is aware of the similar case of Bella Culley – an 18-year-old arrested in Georgia who is also accused of drug smuggling.
However, the two youngsters have never met, and Charlotte “doesn’t know if there is any connection” to her own ordeal.
Fears are now growing that both cases could be linked, as similarities including a “mystery man” have emerged.
Why Brit backpackers are prime targets, Thai cop reveals
Police Lieutenant Colonel Arun Musikim, Deputy Inspector of the Surat Thani province police force, said: “Cases involving British nationals smuggling cannabis have been around for a while.
“There is a lot of cannabis grown on Thailand’s islands in the south because the climate is suitable and it is legal. A lot of gangs are attracted to this.
“There are now various smuggling methods that we have seen. Some carry it themselves, some hire backpackers, and some send it via mail.
“This year, there have been many cases we have intercepted. Most involve British and Malaysian nationals.
“It’s easy for British citizens to travel as they can enter Thailand and return to the UK without needing a visa.
“Most of the smugglers are people hired to carry the cannabis, similar to how tourists might smuggle tax-free goods.
“They’re usually unemployed individuals from the UK. The gangs offer them flights, pocket money and hotel stays, just to come and travel and take a bag back home with them.
“These people often have poor social standing at home and are looking for ways to earn quick money. They find them through friends or on social media.
“Many will go to festivals or parties while they are here, just like they are having a normal trip abroad.
“They are told that it is easy and they will not be caught. Then the amount the organisers can sell the cannabis for in the UK is much higher than it costs in Thailand.
“Police suspect that there are multiple employers and groups receiving the drugs on the other end. The cannabis then enters the UK market.
“We are being vigilant to ensure there are no routes out of the country.”
Within a single day of 18-year-old backpacker Bella getting arrested in Georgia, Charlotte suffered the same fate over 3,000 miles away.
Both women are believed to have used the same airport to depart, allegedly with the drugs on them, as cops say they flew solo from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport.
Another similarity between the cases is how well the discovered narcotics were stashed.
Shocking images published by customs officials in Sri Lanka show how drugs had been allegedly stuffed into Charlotte’s luggage in large vacuum-sealed bags.
Bella’s alleged stash was also discovered in stacked, airtight packages pointing to a similar-style operation.
And in another twist, the two had individually told their loved ones they planned on meeting a mystery man during their travels.
Bella revealed to her family she was meeting an unknown man in the Philippines who had moved to the country from the North East.
Meanwhile Charlotte, a former TUI stewardess, left for Thailand weeks ago, with relatives saying she had made vague comments about meeting a man in Thailand.
A separate British drugs suspect Bella May Culley, 18, from Billingham, County DurhamEast2West
Bella seen in court in Tbilisi, Georgia after he arrestEast2West