Crime Ex-Air Hostess Claims £1.5M Drug Stitch-Up in Sri Lanka

[sstuff3]

21 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

She described her time there as "awful," painting a picture of stark deprivation. "I feel as though I have no human rights here.

Pretty sure that's the point of prisons, although the western world has lost sight of this long ago....

[Reddavy]

Of course it was sweatheart. You just let someone else pack your suitcase without giving it a thought. 😤😤

[Free the 115]

6 hours ago, renaissanc said:

1.  If the amount of drugs was maybe 100 grams I'd believe her. But 43 kgs? 

 

2.  On the off-chance she's telling the truth, it reinforces my belief in the need to check one's own luggage in a toilet before going to Customs in case drugs have been placed inside. It's quite feasible that a small amount could be put in one's luggage on the plane. After all, Chinese passengers are infamous for pilfering people's overhead luggage when the owners are asleep.

Ok. Just for the sake of argument if she is telling the truth………

Because of the weight,  it cannot have been in her case(s) before check in

(46 kg is like having a small Thai woman in your case)

naa forget that………

does a short trip to anywhere warrant two heavily laden bags?

(my daughter packing for a weekend? My wallet is heavier than her needs. )

was it placed in her bags after check in?

could’ve been, but……..

did she not notice when she took the cases off the carousel?

 

too many ifs and buts for me to believe she is innocent 

[Briggsy]

It is likely the UK has a reciprocal agreement with Sri Lanka regarding prisoners. She'll probably end up being convicted but serving the latter portion of her sentence in a UK prison. This usually means early release.

[frank83628]

3 hours ago, saakura said:

 Lee claimed that those who allegedly arranged the drug drop-off were supposed to meet her in Sri Lanka, a meeting that never occurred.

 She never left the airport because she was busted. 

 

[MangoKorat]

So not only did she no know what was in her 46kg of luggage, she didn't either book any additional weight or pay for it at check in?

 

Or is she claiming the additional bag (there must have been one because there is a 32kg per bag limit) was added after check in?  If so her luggage receipt (sticker) will only show one bag and the bar code on it will correspond to the bag she checked in.  If she can show that, she's home and dry but I suspect she can't and her story is pure BS.

[lungbing]

"A wicked boy did it and ran away".  They learn that one in kindergarden.

[ronnie50]

10 hours ago, Patjqm said:

but than...how SHE could have been caught?

The authorities could have detected the drugs on arrival and grabbed her and the bags - not necessarily together - and the criminals at the air-side in Colombo baggage handling knew they wouldn't be able to grab the bags.

[ronnie50]

9 hours ago, impulse said:

 

While that's possible, if they have handlers on both ends, why wouldn't they just use their own bags instead of loading her's? 

 

Good question. I guess the answer might be that they don't have the ability to check the bags in and bar code them in the conveyer room air-side. That coding and tagging happens at check in (landside).

[baansgr]

On 5/21/2025 at 4:18 PM, snoop1130 said:

Photo courtesy of The Sun

 

Charlotte May Lee, once a British air hostess, is at the centre of a harrowing legal ordeal after her arrest in Sri Lanka. Authorities at Colombo airport discovered 46 kilogrammes of high-grade synthetic cannabis within her luggage, alleged to be worth an astonishing £1.5 million. Lee, however, insists this was a setup, claiming she had no idea the drugs were in her suitcase.

 

The 21-year-old, hailing from Coulsdon, South London, has resolutely declared her innocence from Negombo Prison, where she currently endures harsh conditions. In her account, the drugs were concealed in her suitcase without her knowledge. "I didn’t expect it at all when they pulled me over at the airport," she recounted. "I thought it was going to be filled with all my stuff.”

 

The sequence of events began in Thailand, where Lee had been working on a "booze cruise." With her visa in Thailand due for renewal, she decided to briefly visit Sri Lanka. The night before her early morning flight, she packed her bags but left them unattended in her hotel room while she went out for a night on the town. She did not recheck her luggage the next day, assuming everything was as she left it.

 

Lee believes that during her absence, the drugs were placed in her luggage by unidentified individuals. "They must have planted it then. I know who did it," she stated, though she has not disclosed any names publicly. Her arrest came as a massive shock and has thrust her into an unimaginable predicament.

 

After a week spent at the Police Narcotics Bureau, Lee was transferred to Negombo Prison, infamous for its dire conditions. She described her time there as "awful," painting a picture of stark deprivation. "I feel as though I have no human rights here. There are no beds, no blankets," she detailed. In place of a comfortable sleeping area, she sleeps on a concrete floor using her jumper as a makeshift pillow. The prison reportedly doesn’t provide her with her prescribed ADHD medication, offering only strong sleeping pills instead.

 

Photo of Charlotte May Lee and the alleged stash of drugs in her suitcase courtesy of LBC

 

The environment in the prison is grim, with sparse amenities and barely functioning utilities. "There’s a ceiling fan but it doesn’t really work, and there’s a TV but that also barely works," Lee mentioned, underscoring the austere living conditions, which include having only one set of clothes.

 

Adding to her woes, Lee claimed that those who allegedly arranged the drug drop-off were supposed to meet her in Sri Lanka, a meeting that never occurred. Instead, she is left grappling with the legal system, aware that her ordeal could result in a lengthy sentence.

 

Her plight has reached the British officials, with a spokesperson from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirming their involvement. “We are supporting a British woman who has been arrested in Sri Lanka and are in contact with her family and the local authorities,” they stated, highlighting the international dimension of Lee's case.

 

As the legal proceedings unfold, Lee's story serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and dangers that can befall travellers, especially concerning drug trafficking charges, which carry severe penalties abroad. The unfolding situation leaves many questions unanswered as Lee seeks a resolution to her dire circumstances.

 

RELATED TOPIC

Ex-Air Hostess Charlotte Lee Arrested for £1.5M Cannabis in Sri Lanka

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1361205-ex-air-hostess-charlotte-lee-arrested-for-£15m-cannabis-in-sri-lanka/

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-05-21

 

 

 

Working with no WP..says about all we need to know but why does she need to take 2 big suitcases for "a brief" visit to Sri Lanka 

[ronnie50]

9 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Not a chance of that! The baggage handling area is probably the most secure part of the airport and for good reason. It's the most likely area where an explosive devise might be secreted on to an aircraft. Baggage handlers go through rigorous security checks, going into and out off the area. 

 

The baggage goes through intensive automated X-ray screening for explosives automatically and only if it gets flagged at that point does it come under more intensive scrutiny.

 

Pertty sure you're right - in airports like LHR, JFK and many others. Less sure about Sri Lanka or former Soviet state of Georgia... Then again, places like that might be the ideal airport to give it a go! The check-in at Colombo airport (ever been there? I have) is a complete sh!tshow. Also, one other time flying from there to Bangkok, the guy sitting next to me didn't have a seatbelt.

[ronnie50]

23 hours ago, proton said:

Did she have time to get pregnant as well? thats the usual ploy when caught

might happen in prison..

[gk10012001]

On 5/21/2025 at 5:54 AM, WHansen said:

I find this hard to believe, both cases would be 25kg each, she must have noticed the weight.

When she got ready for the flight the next morning did she wear all the same clothes she had on the night before or did she wear a new outfit, if a new outfit,  she must have put her dirty clothes in one of the bags containing 23kg of weed and somehow not noticed all her original luggage had been removed. Could possibly have put everything in a carry on bag i suppose.

A small lady would really struggle to lift 25kg in each hand if you ask me, and surely they were not 25kg each when she packed them for a "short trip" to Sri Lanka.

Maybe it is all lost in translation and the bags were tampered with after being checked in at the airport.

Yeah.  Her story is very hard to believe.  And her words saying that people were supposed to meet her in Sri Lanka?  What people?  Two or three suitcase for a short trip?  The weight of the cases.  The clothes change or not from the night before.  I can almost believe her taking all her belongings as she checked out of where she was staying in Thailand and she takes all her belongings with her.  I have not checked in any luggage in decades since I had my old American Tourister hard luggage.  Remember that old TV commercial with the porter taking the suitcase then he turns into a gorilla and tosses the case all around inside the elevator!  Too funny.  But that did have a lock and while easy to break open, I always locked my case and I would know if somebody broke into it.  

[gk10012001]

5 hours ago, Free the 115 said:

Ok. Just for the sake of argument if she is telling the truth………

Because of the weight,  it cannot have been in her case(s) before check in

(46 kg is like having a small Thai woman in your case)

naa forget that………

does a short trip to anywhere warrant two heavily laden bags?

(my daughter packing for a weekend? My wallet is heavier than her needs. )

was it placed in her bags after check in?

could’ve been, but……..

did she not notice when she took the cases off the carousel?

 

too many ifs and buts for me to believe she is innocent 

Even though it was supposed to be a short trip, she may always take all her stuff with her if she stays in different hotels and had not real permanent lodging in Thailand?  

[gk10012001]

I still am unsure what an "Air Hostess" is?  Is that the flight attendant on board the plane?  Is that somebody that works in one of the airside lounges?

[gk10012001]

11 hours ago, edwardflory said:

The bags weighed almost as much as she  (100+pounds -US weight ) weighs.

No way a person could  NOT feel the weight difference even with a wheeled suitcase.

 

Several bags on a short trip, yeah right!!!

 

Too many things do not add up especially the stated reason of only a "short trip"

She may move from hotel to hotel and was checking out of the initial one so took all her stuff with her.  

[gk10012001]

22 hours ago, BayArea said:

she looks a lot older than 21. she started working for a major airline at a very young age and now no longer employed with them.  something doesn't add up. 

21 is her metric age.  convert that to English units and you get 46?

[NoDisplayName]

On 5/21/2025 at 4:45 PM, Geoffggi said:

46 Kilo is a large amount & she didn't notice the difference to her normal luggage - Hard to believe

 

She's a very strong girl, after years of carrying all that silicone and lip filler.

[Free the 115]

13 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

Even though it was supposed to be a short trip, she may always take all her stuff with her if she stays in different hotels and had not real permanent lodging in Thailand?  

Possible, but extremely tenuous.

Clutching at straws, really.

does she need permanent lodging? Why can’t a condo rental suffice like at least 50% of Farang do?
A 21yo girl who cannot flutter her eyelashes, (she’s a “lash technician”! Nothing flutters flashier!) and get someone to look after a case for a few days?

is a few days rent more than the excess baggage charge?

not sure about other airlines, but Qatar absolutely blattered me for a 10kg overload   

And  sticking with the weight, at what part of the trip did she think “ I’m getting weaker…..these bags are heavier than when I packed them. It’s like a small child has climbed into both of them!”

[cynic1]

She's in deep sh..t! Simple. Case solved as Peter Sellers once said. All these detailed comments are a waste of time!

 

[Magictoad]

On 5/22/2025 at 8:13 AM, KireB said:

That is indeed a possibility. A scary one, better seal our suitcases if you cannot lock properly.

It is not a " possibility" at all. She would have noticed the weight and shape as she got in and out of her taxi. It's a stupid; pre- prepared story and anyone who believes it is equally stupid. She did not pack 45 kilos of panties for a quick holiday in Sri Lanka. 

[Bundooman]

On 5/21/2025 at 7:58 PM, JackGats said:

Synthetic cannabis or synthetic cannabinoids? Not the same thing. If the latter it could not even be on the list of illegal substances.

And your point is.............?

[Bundooman]

2 hours ago, Magictoad said:

It is not a " possibility" at all. She would have noticed the weight and shape as she got in and out of her taxi. It's a stupid; pre- prepared story and anyone who believes it is equally stupid. She did not pack 45 kilos of panties for a quick holiday in Sri Lanka. 

Unless, of course, they were grimy, or full of cack?

[hotandsticky]

2 minutes ago, Bundooman said:

And your point is.............?

 

 

I am not sure that you need one on an internet forum

[Magictoad]

She's got big problems 

[CHdiver]

1 hour ago, Magictoad said:

She's got big problems 

No big deal, you can remove the silicone from her lips and boobs......

[Magictoad]

On 5/22/2025 at 8:17 AM, ronster said:

Or they could just photo the bag once drugs placed , send photo to collector at destination and someone picks it up off the conveyor belt as soon as it comes out. Or they watch the bag at arrivals and follow her to steal the bag from her once it's out of airport.

Or not; as the case may be. I think it's  more likely she is a drug smuggler who caught and had a pre-prepared story to tell people. One that her

co- conspirators convinced her would be believed. And she was thick enough to believe it. LOL

[billd766]

On 5/22/2025 at 8:13 AM, KireB said:

That is indeed a possibility. A scary one, better seal our suitcases if you cannot lock properly.

It would also mean that somebody on the airside had to have 2 identical suitcases to hers, that person would have to carry the suitcases into the airside baggage area, know which suitcases were hers, swap the labels over, remove her suitcases from the area and hide them, all on full view of the other shift workers and the CCTV cameras.

 

The alternative scenario would be somewhat similar if it was done in the hotel. The problem with that is that most people would shower and put on clean clothes from the suitcase, lock the suitcase and get it carried down to the check out of the hotel.

 

The bags could also have been swapped by the taxi driver who took her to the airport.

 

Then she would go to the airport and check her bags, where one of the questions is usually "Did you pack your bags yourself"?

 

All of theses scenarios involve more than one person other than her and TBH, even though I wrote them, I still wouldn't believe any of them.