British woman, Charlotte May Lee was allegedly caught with 46kgs of drugs in her suitcases valued at £1.2million as she stepped off a flight from Thailand to Sri Lanka

10:11, 18 May 2025Updated 10:12, 18 May 2025

Charlotte May LeeThe ex-TUI air steward has swapped flying high to laying low

A former TUI air hostess is facing decades behind bars after allegedly being busted smuggling a huge amount of drugs from Thailand into Sri Lanka.

Young brit Charlotte May Lee was allegedly caught with two suitcases stuffed full of kush worth £1.2million. The synthetic drug, which has wreaked havoc across Africa, is 25 times stronger than the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

The 21-year-old was arrested after hopping off a plane to Sri Lanka from Thailand on Monday accused of wheeling 46kgs of the drugs. The part-time beautician from Chipstead, Surrey is now in a grim cramped Sri Lankan jail cell, waiting for her court appearance.

Charlotte May LeeShe was allegedly busted with 46kgs of synthetic drug kush on her(Image: instagram.com/charlottemaylee)

It’s understood she is sharing her cell with around 20 other women, and “hardly room to lie down”, reports The Sun.

In a scenario baring a striking resemblance to fellow Brit Bella May Culley, who now faces spending time behind bars with a sledgehammer murderer for allegedly smuggling drugs into Georgia, it’s claimed Charlotte may have picked up her haul from Thailand.

A family friend told The Sun that Charlotte is “very scared” and that her family are “frantically worried”.

The added: “She was arrested then seemingly abandoned and is rotting in a jail cell.”

Charlotte May LeeFamily say she may have met a man in Thailand before hopping on her ill-fated flight

Also speaking to the paper, another pal revealed Charlotte is facing a long stint behind bars due to the volume of drugs she was apparently caught with.

They said: “She’s been told if convicted, because of the size of the drugs haul, she’s looking at between 20 and 25 years in jail. British Embassy staff warned her she’s going nowhere soon.”

The former TUI hostess jetted off to Thailand weeks ago. Her family said Charlotte had vaguely mentioned she had met a man while out there, having recently gone through a tough break-up.

It comes after Bella May Culley, was detained at Tbilisi Airport, Georgia, for allegedly smuggling 14kgs of cannabis into the former Soviet Union from Thailand.

Charlotte May LeeHer case bares resemblance to fellow bit Bella May Culley who is also in jail after allegedly smuggling drugs from Thailand(Image: instagram.com/charlottemaylee)

The 18-year-old from Billingham County Durham had gone missing while on holiday in Thailand in the Pattaya area, with alarm bells triggered after failing to check in with her mum at a designated time.

Following an international manhunt, the teen popped up in an ex-Soviet state, where she is currently languishing in a gnarly prison, having been refused bail.

She has been charged with the illegal purchase and storage of a large quantity of drugs, including cannabis, and for smuggling the drugs into Georgia after her luggage raised red flags on an airport scanner as she entered the country.

The youngster faces up to 20 years, and potentially life, if convicted.

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