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The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
How devout, clean-living Brit Daniel Dubois could be the man to FINALLY beat Usyk and reach boxing immortality
DANIEL DUBOIS could be a young man who is about to step into history. If the 27-year-old Brit beats Ukrainian Advertisement 7 Daniel Dubois is vying to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Credit: Getty 7 Brit Dubois will take on Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk at a packed Wembley Stadium Credit: Getty And for once in boxing, all the hype is justified. Tonight will be the first time ever that the undisputed heavyweight championship has been decided on British soil. Dubois holds the IBF belt, but the rest — WBC, WBO, WBA — are in the lethal hands of Ukraine's Usyk. The winner takes all. Advertisement READ MORE ON DANIEL DUBOIS Once-a-century phenomenon And if Dubois wins, he will immediately step into the hallowed realm of British boxing legends, right up there with Lennox Lewis, who became undisputed heavyweight champ by beating Before that, the last British boxer to hold the undisputed title was Bob Fitzsimmons in 1899. An undisputed British heavyweight champion of the world is, it seems, a once-a-century phenomenon. If Dubois wins. And that's the big if. Usyk is the most formidable of opponents. Advertisement Most read in Boxing Unlike 'Dynamite' Daniel Dubois — who has lost two fights, both in hugely controversial circumstances — the 38-year-old Ukrainian remains undefeated. And Usyk has a record that shows he has fought and beaten more elite British fighters than any boxer since David Haye reveals which British boxer Dubois must copy to beat Usyk The 6ft 3in fighter — modestly sized for a heavyweight — has beaten Tyson Fury (twice), Anthony Joshua (twice), Derek Chisora and, between the Gypsy King and AJ fights, Dubois himself. But during their fight in Advertisement In the fifth round, Usyk collapsed to the canvas with a Dubois body shot to the lower abdomen that was controversially, some would say ludicrously, declared a low blow. The fight was stopped for four minutes while Usyk recovered, and he went on to stop Daniel in the ninth round. And while it is true that Usyk won well in the end, many feel that he should never have had the chance. 'I've been cheated out of victory tonight,' Dubois said at the time, and he had a point. Advertisement 7 Usyk stopped Daniel in the ninth round in their last fight Credit: Getty 7 Dubois was once hailed as the future of British heavyweight boxing Credit: Refer to Caption If he genuinely has no fear about facing the destroyer of so many British dreams, then that is because Dubois feels he has beaten his opponent once already. At 27, Dynamite Daniel Dubois — Triple D — has already seen it all. Advertisement At the peak of his fighting prime, the softly spoken South Londoner has been battle-hardened in ways few other fighters ever experience. 'He has been through his trials and tribulations,' Lennox Lewis recently said of Dubois. 'He's the King Slayer.' Dubois knows what it is to be lionized, ridiculed, robbed blind and then lionized once more. In his early twenties, he was the rising star of British boxing, claiming the vacant British heavyweight title in 2019 with a fifth-round knockout against Nathan Gorman. Beating AJ in such devastating fashion showed the world one irrefutable fact: There is nothing wrong with Daniel Dubois' heart. Tony Parsons Commentator Steve Bunce wrote: 'Dubois fought like an old-seasoned bruiser, his feet flawless, his jab a stiff weapon inherited from the relics of the ring.' Advertisement Young and unbeaten, Dubois was hailed as the future of British heavyweight boxing until the strange night at the start of the pandemic, when he suffered his first defeat. Joe Joyce, a decent but ageing fighter who Dubois was expected to walk through, shattered the orbital bone around Daniel's left eye early in the fight, causing retinal bleeding. Dubois took a knee in the tenth round and stayed down — possibly saving his eyesight, and probably his career. But the backlash from fellow and former pro boxers for quitting a fight because he was in danger of losing his eyesight was vicious and merciless. Advertisement Top fighters who Dubois had hero worshipped tore him to shreds. David Haye said that he would rather be 'knocked sparked out' than ever quit. 7 Dubois did not simply beat Anthony Joshua, he destroyed him Credit: �Mark Robinson Photography/Matchroom 7 Daniel with dad Dave, sister Caroline and brothers Prince, left, and Solomon in 2020 Credit: Getty Advertisement Many feared Dubois would never recover from that defeat, because it called into question the one thing no boxer can have called into question — his heart. But his greatest victory came in September last year. In front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, Dubois did not simply beat Anthony Joshua, he beat him up. Daniel dropped British boxing's former Golden Boy multiple times until he knocked him cold in round five. You could sense the torch being passed from one generation to the next. It was the final act in the rehabilitation of Daniel Dubois. Advertisement Scar tissue Beating AJ in such devastating fashion showed the world one irrefutable fact: There is nothing wrong with Daniel Dubois' heart. It is not too much to suggest the fighter has been preparing for this moment all his life. He has never had a sip of alcohol. Never taken drugs. Doesn't own a smart phone. One of seven children, he was raised in a council flat in Deptford, South London, by a single father in a devout Christian household. Advertisement Dubois and his younger brothers and sisters were home-schooled by their ruthless market trader dad Stanley, doing press-ups on their closed fists in the front room while reciting Psalm 144, verse 1 from the Bible, the prayer of David, the Warrior King. If Dubois wins, it will be one of those boxing nights that transcends the only sport that can never be called a game. Tony Parsons 'Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.' This tough upbringing certainly worked for Daniel's sister Caroline, too. At 24, she is an undefeated world champ, holding the WBC and IBO lightweight belts. Advertisement Can her older brother grab the glory tonight? Usyk is a truly great champion, and it is widely believed that he beat much bigger, stronger men — not least Tyson Fury, Joshua and Dubois himself — because he is ultimately a better boxer than all of them. But Usyk is also 38. The world has already witnessed Daniel Dubois take Usyk to places the Gypsy King and AJ never managed to. 7 Advertisement And only Father Time keeps his unbeaten record for ever. Dubois remains what he has always been — a knockout artist, a virtuoso of the lights-out KO, defeating all but one of his 22 vanquished opponents by stoppage. The Brit has, as they say, heavy hands. He also has scar tissue from past trials and tribulations, inside and outside of the ring, that most fighters never know. Advertisement Being mocked after losing to Joyce, being robbed blind when he was beating Usyk in If the Ukrainian champion is ever going to be beaten, the time is tonight, the place is Wembley. Hero for the ages And the man to beat him is a devout, clean-living young Londoner who styles himself Triple D. Daniel Dubois is ready. He is one fight, one night — possibly one punch — from a truly historic victory, the kind of event that comes along every 100 years or so. Advertisement Holder of all the belts, rightful heir to a place in the sparsely populated pantheon of British heavyweighted heroes who have been undisputed champion of the world. If Dubois wins, it will be one of those boxing nights that transcends the only sport that can never be called a game. Do what no man has ever done — beat Usyk — and Daniel Dubois will be a British sporting hero for the ages, up there with Now that's what I call undisputed. Advertisement
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
How devout, clean-living Brit Daniel Dubois could be the man to FINALLY beat Usyk and reach boxing immortality
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DANIEL DUBOIS could be a young man who is about to step into history. If the 27-year-old Brit beats Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk at a packed Wembley Stadium tonight, Dubois will become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Daniel Dubois is vying to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Credit: Getty 7 Brit Dubois will take on Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk at a packed Wembley Stadium Credit: Getty And for once in boxing, all the hype is justified. Tonight will be the first time ever that the undisputed heavyweight championship has been decided on British soil. Dubois holds the IBF belt, but the rest — WBC, WBO, WBA — are in the lethal hands of Ukraine's Usyk. The winner takes all. Once-a-century phenomenon And if Dubois wins, he will immediately step into the hallowed realm of British boxing legends, right up there with Lennox Lewis, who became undisputed heavyweight champ by beating Evander Holyfield in 1999. Before that, the last British boxer to hold the undisputed title was Bob Fitzsimmons in 1899. An undisputed British heavyweight champion of the world is, it seems, a once-a-century phenomenon. If Dubois wins. And that's the big if. Usyk is the most formidable of opponents. Unlike 'Dynamite' Daniel Dubois — who has lost two fights, both in hugely controversial circumstances — the 38-year-old Ukrainian remains undefeated. And Usyk has a record that shows he has fought and beaten more elite British fighters than any boxer since Muhammad Ali. David Haye reveals which British boxer Dubois must copy to beat Usyk The 6ft 3in fighter — modestly sized for a heavyweight — has beaten Tyson Fury (twice), Anthony Joshua (twice), Derek Chisora and, between the Gypsy King and AJ fights, Dubois himself. But during their fight in Poland in August 2023, Dubois — 6ft 5in and 18 stone of muscle, menace and spite — pushed Usyk far harder than he had ever been pushed before. In the fifth round, Usyk collapsed to the canvas with a Dubois body shot to the lower abdomen that was controversially, some would say ludicrously, declared a low blow. The fight was stopped for four minutes while Usyk recovered, and he went on to stop Daniel in the ninth round. And while it is true that Usyk won well in the end, many feel that he should never have had the chance. 'I've been cheated out of victory tonight,' Dubois said at the time, and he had a point. 7 Usyk stopped Daniel in the ninth round in their last fight Credit: Getty 7 Dubois was once hailed as the future of British heavyweight boxing Credit: Refer to Caption If he genuinely has no fear about facing the destroyer of so many British dreams, then that is because Dubois feels he has beaten his opponent once already. At 27, Dynamite Daniel Dubois — Triple D — has already seen it all. At the peak of his fighting prime, the softly spoken South Londoner has been battle-hardened in ways few other fighters ever experience. 'He has been through his trials and tribulations,' Lennox Lewis recently said of Dubois. 'He's the King Slayer.' Dubois knows what it is to be lionized, ridiculed, robbed blind and then lionized once more. In his early twenties, he was the rising star of British boxing, claiming the vacant British heavyweight title in 2019 with a fifth-round knockout against Nathan Gorman. Beating AJ in such devastating fashion showed the world one irrefutable fact: There is nothing wrong with Daniel Dubois' heart. Tony Parsons Commentator Steve Bunce wrote: 'Dubois fought like an old-seasoned bruiser, his feet flawless, his jab a stiff weapon inherited from the relics of the ring.' Young and unbeaten, Dubois was hailed as the future of British heavyweight boxing until the strange night at the start of the pandemic, when he suffered his first defeat. Joe Joyce, a decent but ageing fighter who Dubois was expected to walk through, shattered the orbital bone around Daniel's left eye early in the fight, causing retinal bleeding. Dubois took a knee in the tenth round and stayed down — possibly saving his eyesight, and probably his career. But the backlash from fellow and former pro boxers for quitting a fight because he was in danger of losing his eyesight was vicious and merciless. Top fighters who Dubois had hero worshipped tore him to shreds. David Haye said that he would rather be 'knocked sparked out' than ever quit. 7 Dubois did not simply beat Anthony Joshua, he destroyed him Credit: �Mark Robinson Photography/Matchroom 7 Daniel with dad Dave, sister Caroline and brothers Prince, left, and Solomon in 2020 Credit: Getty Many feared Dubois would never recover from that defeat, because it called into question the one thing no boxer can have called into question — his heart. But his greatest victory came in September last year. In front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, Dubois did not simply beat Anthony Joshua, he beat him up. Daniel dropped British boxing's former Golden Boy multiple times until he knocked him cold in round five. You could sense the torch being passed from one generation to the next. It was the final act in the rehabilitation of Daniel Dubois. Scar tissue Beating AJ in such devastating fashion showed the world one irrefutable fact: There is nothing wrong with Daniel Dubois' heart. It is not too much to suggest the fighter has been preparing for this moment all his life. He has never had a sip of alcohol. Never taken drugs. Doesn't own a smart phone. One of seven children, he was raised in a council flat in Deptford, South London, by a single father in a devout Christian household. Dubois and his younger brothers and sisters were home-schooled by their ruthless market trader dad Stanley, doing press-ups on their closed fists in the front room while reciting Psalm 144, verse 1 from the Bible, the prayer of David, the Warrior King. If Dubois wins, it will be one of those boxing nights that transcends the only sport that can never be called a game. Tony Parsons 'Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.' This tough upbringing certainly worked for Daniel's sister Caroline, too. At 24, she is an undefeated world champ, holding the WBC and IBO lightweight belts. Can her older brother grab the glory tonight? Usyk is a truly great champion, and it is widely believed that he beat much bigger, stronger men — not least Tyson Fury, Joshua and Dubois himself — because he is ultimately a better boxer than all of them. But Usyk is also 38. The world has already witnessed Daniel Dubois take Usyk to places the Gypsy King and AJ never managed to. 7 And only Father Time keeps his unbeaten record for ever. Dubois remains what he has always been — a knockout artist, a virtuoso of the lights-out KO, defeating all but one of his 22 vanquished opponents by stoppage. The Brit has, as they say, heavy hands. He also has scar tissue from past trials and tribulations, inside and outside of the ring, that most fighters never know. Being mocked after losing to Joyce, being robbed blind when he was beating Usyk in Poland — all of it has made him stronger. If the Ukrainian champion is ever going to be beaten, the time is tonight, the place is Wembley. Hero for the ages And the man to beat him is a devout, clean-living young Londoner who styles himself Triple D. Daniel Dubois is ready. He is one fight, one night — possibly one punch — from a truly historic victory, the kind of event that comes along every 100 years or so. Holder of all the belts, rightful heir to a place in the sparsely populated pantheon of British heavyweighted heroes who have been undisputed champion of the world. If Dubois wins, it will be one of those boxing nights that transcends the only sport that can never be called a game. Do what no man has ever done — beat Usyk — and Daniel Dubois will be a British sporting hero for the ages, up there with Bobby Moore, Chris Hoy, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Lewis Hamilton, Andy Murray and Mo Farah. Now that's what I call undisputed.
Scottish Sun
31-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Peru Two's Michaella McCollum ‘couldn't survive prison horrors' Brit ‘smugglers' Bella Culley & Charlotte Lee may face
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MICHAELLA McCollum of the notorious Peru Two has warned that accused Brit drug smugglers Bella Culley and Charlotte Lee will go through unbearable prison horrors. The infamous drug smuggler turned influencer branded the pair "victims", and said she could not endure the conditions Culley and Lee may have to face. 14 Former drug mule turned author, mum and public speaker Michaella McCollum has spoken on Bella Culley and Charlotte Lee Credit: Instagram/@Michaella_McCollum 14 Charlotte Lee was arrested in Sri Lanka after cops found two suitcases stuffed with 46kg of synthetic drug kush Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 14 Bella Culley was arrested in Tbilisi airport, Georgia, with a suitcase packed with drugs Credit: Facebook As one half of the notorious Peru Two, McCollum, 31, served three years in a hardcore prison near Lima when she was convicted of drug smuggling in 2013. Alongside Melissa Reid, the two were arrested at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru, after it was discovered that their suitcases contained a shocking £1.5million of cocaine between them. Mule turned author McCollum also detailed how she was forced to survive on maggot-infested paella and flick away cockroaches approaching her on the dining tables. The now mum-of-two said of Culley and Lee: "I could not do 20 years in a prison like that. I just couldn't. And that's what those girls are facing." Culley, 18, and Lee, 21, are facing similar but unrelated drug smuggling charges and have both been locked up far away from home with little hope of getting out. Culley was arrested on May 11 in Tbilisi airport, Georgia, with a suitcase packed with 31lb of cannabis and hashish after flying from Thailand via Sharjah in the UAE. She faces 15 years to life in jail in the eastern European former Soviet state. She is being held in watchtower-ringed Penitentiary No 5 near Tbilisi while prosecutors probe how she came to have the £200,000 stash and who she planned to hand it to. Meanwhile, Lee was arrested earlier this month in Sri Lanka after cops found two suitcases stuffed with 46kg of synthetic drug kush — which is 25 times more potent than opioid fentanyl. If found guilty, the South Londoner could face a 25-year sentence. Bella Culley's dad stands by daughter amid fears drug gangs are targeting Brit backpackers The Brit claimed that she didn't know she was smuggling drugs into Sri Lanka before she was detained - and called her allegations 'made up'. Her friends revealed that she has been struggling behind bars since her arrest due to the shocking conditions. The part-time nail technician told pals she has not been allowed medication, and detailed how her cleaning regime consists of 'having a glass of water poured over her head'. McCollum, who has endured similar hardship in foreign prisons, was also a very young adult when she made the "greatest mistake of my life". She was 19 at the time of her arrest, alongside her pal who she had recently met Reid, who was 20. The mum compared her story to those of Lee and Culley. She said: "The situation was almost exactly the same. Her mum had reported her missing, then it emerged that she'd been arrested. "There were such parallels with my case – except it was just in a different country." 14 Michaella McCollum (L) entering the Sarita Colonia jail with a police escort in October, 2013 Credit: EPA 14 Bella May Culley, 18, from Billingham, County Durham, seen in court in Tbilisi Credit: East2West 14 Charloitte May Lee, 21, former TUI flight attendant from Coulsdon, seen after she appeared in court in Colombo, Sri Lanka Credit: Enterprise 14 She added: "I couldn't help but feel bad for them. "They are 19 and 21. Whatever they have done, it's so young to be caught up in something like this, and I know what they are going to go through. "And their families. It's the worst thing anybody can have to face." Culley's situation also took a nightmare twist, after she told a Tbilisi court that she was pregnant. McCollum said: "As a mum, I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to give birth in that sort of place, and to potentially have the child taken from you and put into care. How might the cases of Bella Culley and Charlotte May be connected? Within a single day of Bella Culley's arrest, Charlotte May, 21, was arrested in Sri Lanka after allegedly being caught trying to smuggle drugs worth £1.2m While the two arrests took place over 3,000 miles apart, people immediately noted striking similarities It is believed to be likely that Georgian and Sri Lankan authorities will launch a joint investigation Both women are said to have departed from the same airport - Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport - allegedly with the drugs on them In both cases, the drugs were stashed in airtight packages that suggest a level of professionalism Both women had told their loved ones that they planned on meeting a mystery man during their travels in Thailand: Bella's grandad said she mentioned a man called "Ross or Russ", while Charlotte's friends said she made vague comments about meeting a man "That adds a whole new, terrifying, dimension. It's just incredibly sad." The smuggler turned public speaker also said the accused pair need more public sympathy, but cautioned that she also understands they may have made mistakes, as she did. "It's easy to look at girls like this and think 'how could you be so stupid?' but I look back at myself and think exactly that," she said. "I don't know the circumstances in detail here, but I do know that of all the women I came across who had been involved in drug smuggling, only about 10 per cent were doing it as a business, who knew the risks and accepted them." She continued: "The vast majority were the victims of some sort of coercion, usually by men. 14 Welikada prison, where Lee may be thrown into, is reported to be infested with maggots and rats 14 The exterior of Tbilisi Prison No.5, Georgia's only female prison where Culley may have to serve Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 14 View of the containment areas of the Ancon 2 prison, where McCollum served her sentence Credit: AFP 14 "Prisons all over the world are full of women who have been caught up in something like this." Lee has already told cops about a mysterious Brit man called "Dan". She claims to have met him on a beach in Thailand before he bought her a ticket to Colombo, promised to join her but then suddenly vanished. McCollum said she was only regarded as a "victim" after a 2022 Netflix documentary exploring the Peru Two case. She said: "It was when I was watching an actress do some of the re-enactments of my story that I realised there had been exploitation and coercion going on here. "At the time I was so high (on cocaine) that I could barely walk. Yet the men around me were all sober. "I thought they were my friends, but actually they didn't give a s**t about me." McCollum was offered a mere £5,000 to smuggle the drugs she was caught with. "I mean who would risk spending 20 years of your life in prison for £3,000 or £4,000 or even £10,000," she reflected. "Even £50,000 isn't enough. No amount of money is worth your freedom." The 31-year-old has also written a book detailing her experience, and worked with police to tell her story to impressionable teens. More than a decade on from her harrowing story, the former drug mule is now a public speaker, wife and author who's estimated net worth nearly £1million. 14 Michaella McCollum is now a mum-of-two and author Credit: Instagram/@Michaella_McCollum 14 Part-time beautician Lee was arrested on May 12 after stepping off a flight to Sri Lanka from Thailand Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Scottish Sun
30-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Brit ‘drug mule' Charlotte May Lee, 21, tears up as cops wheel £1.2m kush haul into court she ‘didn't know was in case'
A BRIT former flight attendant accused of smuggling £1.2 million worth of cannabis today appeared in front of a Sri Lankan court. Part-time beautician Charlotte May Lee was seen tearing up as she was wheeled into the court by local cops. 6 Charlotte May Lee today appeared in a Sri Lankan court Credit: BBC Breakfast 6 Charlotte was seen wearing handcuffs Credit: BBC Breakfast 6 The Brit was arrested last week after cops found two suitcases stuffed with 46kg of synthetic drug kush Credit: BBC Breakfast 6 Sri Lankan cops released a photo of the seized bags of drugs Charlotte was allegedly caught with Credit: Sri Lanka Police The Brit was arrested last week after cops found two suitcases stuffed with 46kg of synthetic drug kush — which is 25 times more potent than opioid fentanyl. If found guilty, South Londoner Charlotte could face a 25-year sentence. The Brit claimed that she didn't know she was smuggling drugs into Sri Lanka before she was detained - and called her allegations 'made up'. She appeared in front of a court today after languishing in a 'hell-hole' prison for days. Charlotte from Surrey was stopped by Sri Lankan customs officials after stepping off a flight from Thailand on Monday last week. Speaking from behind bars, she said she had "no idea" that there were drugs in her luggage when she left Bangkok. She claimed: "I had never seen them before. I didn't expect it all when they pulled me over at the airport. I thought it was going to be filled with all my stuff. "I had been in Bangkok the night before and had already packed my clothes because my flight was really early. "So I left my bags in the hotel room and headed for the night out. As they were already packed I didn't check them again in the morning." The young Brit believes those packets of drugs were planted in her luggage in a planned move by dangerous dealers in Southeast Asia. Kush, a highly addictive synthetic drug, has claimed the lives of thousands in West Africa where it first appeared in 2022 - and is spreading globally at an alarming rate. The dirt-cheap drug is cut with an array of additives including acetone, the opioid tramadol and formalin, a toxic chemical commonly used to preserve bodies in mortuaries. Her pals believe she was besotted by a mystery man named Rocko - a key piece of information which could be crucial to her defence. Prosecutors will argue her experience as a stewardess with holiday airline TUI proves she, 'knew to check her luggage before a flight'. Her friends revealed that Charlotte is struggling behind bars after her arrest due to the shocking conditions. The part-time nail technician told friends she has not been allowed medication. And her cleaning regime consists of 'having a glass of water poured over her head'. A friend said: 'She is struggling. We're so scared for her. She is a mess.' She can only use her phone while on remand in jail in Colombo for 'emergency calls'. Fears have been growing that Charlotte's case could be linked to that of 18-year-old Bella May Culley, who was arrested in Georgia after allegedly being caught with a suitcase of cannabis. Student nurse Bella had also told loved ones she was meeting a man in the Philippines who had moved to the country from the North East during her travels. The backpacker's social media went on to show her clearly in the company of a male stranger - but he was never clearly pictured or named. Her grandad William Culley, 80, revealed last Wednesday that she appears to have spent most of March in Thailand but also spent time in the Philippines with a man called 'Ross or Russ'. More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun. 6
The Irish Sun
30-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Brit ‘drug mule' Charlotte May Lee, 21, tears up as cops wheel £1.2m kush haul into court she ‘didn't know was in case'
A BRIT former flight attendant accused of smuggling £1.2 million worth of cannabis today appeared in front of a Sri Lankan court. Part-time beautician Charlotte May Lee was seen tearing up as she was wheeled into the court by local cops. 6 Charlotte May Lee today appeared in a Sri Lankan court Credit: BBC Breakfast 6 Charlotte was seen wearing handcuffs Credit: BBC Breakfast 6 The Brit was arrested last week after cops found two suitcases stuffed with 46kg of synthetic drug kush Credit: BBC Breakfast 6 Pictures released by Sri lankan police shows packets allegedly containing drugs Credit: Sri Lanka Police The Brit was arrested last week after cops found two suitcases stuffed with 46kg of synthetic drug kush — which is 25 times more potent than opioid fentanyl. If found guilty, South Londoner Charlotte could face a 25-year sentence. She appeared in front of a court today after languishing in a 'hell-hole' prison for days. Charlotte from Surrey was stopped by Sri Lankan customs officials after stepping off a flight from Thailand on Monday last week. Speaking from behind bars, she said she had "no idea" that there were drugs in her luggage when she left Bangkok. She claimed: "I had never seen them before. I didn't expect it all when they pulled me over at the airport. I thought it was going to be filled with all my stuff. "I had been in Bangkok the night before and had already packed my clothes because my flight was really early. "So I left my bags in the hotel room and headed for the night out. As they were already packed I didn't check them again in the morning." Most read in The Sun The young Brit believes those packets of drugs were planted in her luggage in a planned move by dangerous dealers in Southeast Asia. Kush, a highly addictive synthetic drug, has claimed the lives of thousands in West Africa where it first appeared in 2022 - and is spreading globally at an alarming rate. The dirt-cheap drug is cut with an array of additives including acetone, the opioid tramadol and formalin, a toxic chemical commonly used to preserve bodies in mortuaries. More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at 6 6 Charlotte May Lee booking picture after she was caught Credit: Sri Lanka Police
