CHARLOTTE MAY LEE is a 21-year-old British woman who was arrested at Colombo Airport in Sri Lanka, under serious accusations of drug smuggling.
She is facing up to a year behind bars before her trial and sentencing after her first court appearance, and this is everything we know about her.
Who is Charlotte May Lee?
Originally from Coulsdon in South London, Charlotte, 21, is a beauty technician who was working in Chipstead, and training in eyelash extensions before
Prior to her most recent role as a nail tech, Charlotte worked as an air hostess for TUI until around a year ago.
Her Instagram highlights are filled with snaps from around the world in European destinations including the Greek islands and Ibiza, and further afield in Egypt, Cape Verde, and the Caribbean.
Trips to Thailand
A well-seasoned traveller, Charlotte’s first trip to was to celebrate her 21st birthday with her older sister.
Upon returning from her first trip, friends report that Charlotte had plans to go back to Thailand because she “wanted to work”;;, while relatives say she mentioned meeting a man on her next visit.
They shared: “Charlotte was vague before leaving, but just said she was going to meet a British guy who can’t come home.”;;
Sri Lanka arrest
Charlotte landed at Colombo International Airport in after flying in from Bangkok on Monday, May 12, 2025, and was arrested upon arrival under allegations of smuggling nearly £1.5million worth of kush found in her luggage.
Kush, which is a potent strain of marijuana cut with synthetic and dangerous additives including acetone, formalin, and tramadol, was first seen in Sierra Leone in 2022.
Charlotte’s alleged possession and arrest marks Sri Lanka’s biggest kush bust ever, and could result in her serving a 20 to 25-year sentence in Sri Lanka’s maximum-security
However, Charlotte insisting that the drugs were planted on her.
Many have been quick to draw comparisons between Charlotte’s case and .
Bella is an 18-year-old who lost contact with her family on a solo trip in Thailand before re-appearing at Tbilisi International Airport in Georgia just a day before Charlotte’s arrest,
Although the two have never met, both young women were in Bangkok’s airport alone before their arrests, and both were allegedly found with large quantities of cannabis in their bags.
Bella was found with 13kg of marijuana, and Charlotte, 46kg.
Both women also reportedly told friends and family back home that they were meeting a man in Thailand.
Family and friends’ reactions
As Charlotte awaits trial with limited phone access, loved ones have shared their concerns for her wellbeing – especially given the conditions in Negombo Prison, where she will be held for up to 12 more months.
Behind bars Charlotte told MailOnline: “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.”;;
She hasn’t been able to change her clothes, take her ADHD medication, or to eat daily, as the food served has been too spicy for her to tolerate.
A family friend said: “We’re frantically worried. She was arrested then seemingly abandoned and is rotting in a jail cell. She’s very scared.”;;
“At the moment she can have visitors from 9.30am til 4.30pm, although there is no-one to go and see her in Sri Lanka, and her family are not flying out to meet her,”;; another friend added.
If Charlotte is found guilty, the British Embassy will only be able to visit her at Welikada Prison every six months.
The jail is reported to be at over double its capacity, and has even worse conditions for its female inmates.
