Business Daily Myanmar scam: A victim's story
We hear from a Sri Lankan woman who was trafficked and forced to conduct illegal online activity, including cyber fraud against vulnerable victims.
Aneka Boram is one of thousands of people who've recently escaped from so-called scam centres. She talks about her captivity and describes the harsh punishments and conditions she was forced to work in.
The scam centres are offices inside Myanmar or Cambodia, where people have been forced to work scamming internet users from around the world.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presented and produced by Ed Butler
(Image: Aneka Boram)
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The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
British woman jailed in Sri Lanka on drug offences could be months from bail hearing, lawyer warns
A young British woman held in a Sri Lankan prison without charge for the last three weeks could still be months away from a bail hearing after her arrest for allegedly smuggling £1.2m worth of synthetic cannabis or kush in her luggage, her lawyer told The Independent. Charlotte May Lee, 21, a former cabin attendant from south London, was arrested on 12 May at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after arriving on a flight from Bangkok. She remains in custody on remand for allegedly carrying 46kg of cannabis in her two suitcases. Her lawyer, Sampath Perera, said the 21-year-old is 'coping' as she gets used to her situation, though he would not say she was in 'absolutely good condition'. 'She is doing okay and adjusting to a completely different and alien environment in a third-world country,' Mr Perera told The Independent, adding that little more could be expected of a young woman in such circumstances. Ms Lee has denied knowing about the presence of the alleged drugs in her luggage. The Surrey woman remains in prison in Negombo, a city just north of the capital, and has yet to be charged as police in Colombo continue their investigation, Mr Perera said. He said the report will confirm if the contents from her luggage were actually banned and illegal substances, adding that no evidence has been submitted to the court so far. 'I have made an application in the court that the report on the alleged analysis of the drug haul by the relevant government agency should be submitted to the court,' he said. The next step in the case would be to file a bail application for Ms Lee, Mr Perera said, but he warned that it could take two to three months to secure her release on bail, depending on how the process goes. 'She is innocent until proven guilty. The case has got international attention and it has jeopardised the safety and privacy of my client, who is still suspected and not charged,' he said, adding that her family back in UK is 'suffering' due to the media attention. Ms Lee is a former cabin crew member for TUI and has since been working as a beautician. She faces 25 years in prison if found guilty. She was reportedly holidaying in Thailand and then came to Sri Lanka as her 30-day visa was about to expire, with the intention of returning to Thailand after it was renewed. She left Surrey, England, for Thailand in late April. Wearing an all-white dress and her hands cuffed behind her, Ms Lee was seen for the first time since her arrest during her procedural court appearance last Friday 30 June. She broke down in tears as she stood in the witness box while proceedings took place in the native Sinhalese language. She will have to appear at court every 14 days as long as she remains in custody on remand, according to Sri Lankan laws. Her next hearing is on 13 July. Ms Lee remains in touch with her family in the UK but she has not yet been allowed 'e-visits' that would include video calls with family or friends. Mr Perera said her sister is likely to visit Colombo soon to help signing paperwork to make that happen. Kush is an addictive synthetic drug that that is spreading quickly in west Africa, particularly in Sierra Leone, where it first appeared in 2022 and has since claimed thousands of lives. It is used as a depressant with a promise of a stress-relieving high but contains toxic chemicals such as pioid tramadol, fentanyl, and formalin, a chemical used in mortuaries to preserve bodies. Cheap and highly addictive, synthetic kush is often linked to organised trafficking networks. Media reports have suggested investigators are considering whether Ms Lee's case is linked to that of 18-year-old Bella Culley, who is being held in a Georgia prison on suspicion of drug offences. The two were arrested within a day of each other, having both flown out of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand alone. Ms Culley faces up to 20 years – or life imprisonment – if found guilty for illegally purchasing and storing the drugs and illegally importing them into Georgia. Pictures of Ms Culley's alleged drug haul showed hermetically sealed packages with the word 'hash' written over brown coverings. In Ms Lee's case, photographs published by Sri Lanka's customs narcotics control unit showed the alleged drugs found in her luggage vacuum packed in plastic bags, suggesting a professional job.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Reason Brit 'drug mules' are 'flavour of the month' for shady gangs is exposed
Recently, Bella Culley, from Billingham, County Durham, was arrested in Georgia and Charlotte May Lee, from Coulsdon in London, allegedly had a synthetic strain of cannabis in her luggage in Sri Lanka Party-going Brits are the "flavour of the month" for drug smuggler gangs, experts warned today. Insiders say Brits are being recruited on the promise of quick cash and the "perfect package" luxury holiday in the likes of Thailand and Indonesia. However, some are never making it home - or are absent for months - because they are being banged up in hellhole jails for drug smuggling offences. Bella Culley, from Billingham, County Durham, and Charlotte May Lee, from Coulsdon, south London, are just two of the several Brits to be lured into the murky world recently. However, in a case that has bucked the trend, a 79-year-old William 'Billy Boy' Eastment, of Somerset, was arrested in Chile last week after a Mexican gang allegedly promised him £3.7million to smuggle a suitcase of crystal meth from Cancun. And experts say the variety highlights how age isn't a barrier for these gangs. One drugs expert said: "They recruit anyone they think looks innocent enough to get through customs, and yet still be dodgy enough to do the deal." Airport security - both in the UK and abroad - is now said to be on high alert for suspicious behaviour that staff may associate with drug smuggling. Culley, for instance, was snagged in Georgia after allegedly carrying 14kg of cannabis into the ex-Soviet nation from Thailand, where she had been holidaying. And Lee, a former TUI flight attendant, is locked up in a Sri Lankan prison after police allegedly discovered 46kg of "Kush" - a synthetic strain of cannabis - in her suitcase when she arrived on a flight from Thailand. A flurry of similar cases have followed including 36-year-old OnlyFans model Clara Wilson, from Nottinghamshire, 21-year-old Cameron Bradford, from Hertfordshire, and 29-year-old Kimberly Hall, from Middlesbrough, who have all been arrested on suspicion of smuggling abroad. Gary Carroll, an expert witness in drug cases, told Mail Online crooks are targeting young people, particularly women, on social media. Mr Carroll, who spent 14 years in policing before becoming a witness, told the publication: "It's (social media) created a gateway for suppliers to target and make connections with young, well-travelled, glamorous ladies and girls that are seeking that ability to travel the world and afford to do so. "Smuggling drugs or packages where they're not entirely sure of the contents in exchange for free holidays and cash seems quite a lucrative offer." Mr Carroll, from Claymore Advisory Group, said he has worked on cases where the "common denominator" is free accommodation, free flights, spending money and some cash with which to come home. He added: "I've even seen business class being thrown in there to sweeten the deal. It's almost the perfect package for those that want to travel, take all the pictures for social media at no expense of their own." Dr David Holmes, a leading criminal psychologist, warned Brits to be vigilant on holiday as he said some gang members will brazenly approach tourists on beaches with offers to join the murky underworld. He said: "It's anyone they think looks innocent enough to get through customs, and yet still be dodgy enough to do the deal. It may be that Brits are the flavour of the month - and I would imagine it's quite more likely that Brits are the flavour of the month with airport security.. That's why they are being picked up more, because they are being picked on more." Police in Sri Lanka, meanwhile, insist Lee - arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle 101lb (46kg) the synthetic strain of cannabis into the country - is "in a lot of trouble". The Brit faces up to 25 years in a tough maximum-security jail in Sri Lanka if she is convicted.
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Daily Record
Romesh Ranganathan opens up about turbulent childhood as dad sent to jail for fraud
Comedian Romesh Ranganathan has opened up about his teenage years as his life was turned upside down when his father went to prison. TV presenter and comedy star Romesh Ranganathan has recently opened up about his turbulent childhood when his father was sent to prison for two years for fraud. Opening up on Radio 4's show Desert Island Disc, the comedian shared how his life was completely turned upside down due to his father's actions. At the time of the imprisonment, Romesh was a teenager living in Crawley. He recalled that he was attending a private school at the time when he, his younger brother and mother were forced to move out of their family home and into a Bed and Breakfast. He said: "My dad had fallen into financial trouble. What it turns out is that he'd lost his job and he was trying to make money in this sort of Sri Lankan Del Boy way, and it wasn't working out. "And he couldn't keep up the mortgage repayments on their house. And they couldn't afford, even with my scholarship, they still couldn't afford the fees at this school I was going to." To make matters worse, it soon became apparent that his father Ranga was having an affair, reports the Mirror. When is father disappeared for several days, Romesh recalled having to ask the "other women" where his dad was. In doing so, Romesh found out that his father had been arrested. He explained: "She tells us that my dad had been arrested three days previously, and he had been involved in some sort of fraud case. I don't know why we'd not heard, why he'd not got in touch, but this lady knew. "He ended up going to prison for two years, or just under two years. You know, I remember my dad being convicted and going to prison the day before my birthday. "I think it's my 15th birthday. And so my friends are having a party for me. I just went and pretended that wasn't going on because you want some normalcy." "Because for a while, we moved out of the house, and then a counsellor gave us a room in a bed and breakfast." Speaking to Lauren Laverne, Romesh said that he remembered his mother crying during this period of time and that she managed to get a job as a cleaner to help provide for her sons. When his father did come back home after being imprisoned, Romesh said they were able to patch up their relationship over time. The 47-year-old said: "On my dad's 60th birthday, by that time, our relationship had really kind of improved. I'd had kids at that point, and I saw the way that my dad was being with my children. "I was like, I've never seen this side of my dad, and we're in a really good place. My memory of my dad is of like a flawed tornado." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Romesh also candidly spoke about his struggles with mental health on the Radio 4 show, admitting that he had thought about taking his own life more than once and saw it as a solution to his emotional turmoil. While he admits that he has experienced serious dark periods in this life, he has now learned how to manage those times. He touches on some of his experiences through his comedy shows, but he is aware that he needs to be careful about how far he goes. He explained: "You got to be careful because it's triggering. I'm trying to destigmatise (mental health) but you do also have to be mindful of the fact that people may have been affected by that and then if I suddenly say I had thoughts about taking my own life and somebody's lost someone through that or they've had those moments themselves, you have to be sensitive to that and you don't always get it right but I think the rewards outweigh the risks."
