UK girl caught with 46kg human bone-based drug, faces lengthy jail time period

A 21-year-old ex-flight attendant from the UK, Charlotte May Lee, is dealing with as much as 25 years in jail after being arrested in Sri Lanka for allegedly smuggling greater than 101lbs(46kg) kilos of a harmful artificial drug referred to as “kush.”

Authorities acknowledged that the drug, which is believed to incorporate some portion of human bones, was discovered hidden in her baggage when she landed at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo earlier this month.

Charlotte, who’s from South London, had reportedly been working in Thailand. Her visa was expiring, so she determined to make a brief journey to Sri Lanka to attend for its renewal.

“I had by no means seen them (the medication) earlier than. I didn’t count on all of it after they pulled me over on the airport. I believed it was going to be stuffed with all my stuff,” Charlotte stated in a interview with the Daily Mail.

She additionally claimed that she is harmless and medicines had been planted in her baggage. “They should have planted it then,” she added. “I do know who did it.” However, she has refused to call the particular person she believes is accountable.

GRAVE ROBBING IN SIERRA LEONE

Charlotte’s baggage contained a drug referred to as “kush,” which is an artificial substance fashionable amongst teenagers in West Africa. It reportedly killed a few dozen individuals each week in Sierra Leone. One of probably the most stunning issues about kush is that it comprises ground-up human bones in it. Grave robbing is widespread in Sierra Leone. The president declared a state of emergency to take care of the drug’s results within the nation. Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada Bio, has referred to as the drug a “death trap” and an “existential crisis” for the nation.

“This has been an actual nuisance,” stated a senior Sri Lankan customs officer. He added that officers had been profiling passengers touring from Bangkok, which has turn out to be a well known route for drug traffickers.

Charlotte is reportedly being held in a jail north of Colombo, the place she sleeps on a concrete ground, in line with Sri Lankan officers.

The estimated avenue worth of the stash she was allegedly carrying is $3.3 million.

There are different instances that increase questions apart from hers. Around the identical time, Bella Culley, a younger British girl from County Durham, was arrested in Georgia on suspicion of smuggling greater than thirty kilos of cannabis and marijuana. Bella, who can be dealing with severe drug trafficking costs, had flown into Tbilisi from the United Arab Emirates.

As drug smuggling by means of Bangkok will increase, Sri Lankan authorities are tightening checks. “Another passenger who had left Bangkok airport, nearly on the identical time, was arrested abroad,” the customs officer informed BBC.