Latest news with #ex-TUI
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Seven bombshells in jailed TUI stewardess saga as she 'cries and refuses to eat'
Former TUI stewardess Charlotte May Lee was arrested in the Sri Lankan capital of Columbo after she allegedly smuggled an estimated £1.2 million worth of kush into the country Brit Charlotte May Lee has broken her silence following her arrest after allegedly smuggling drugs into Sri Lanka - including her despair at having to eat "too spicy" food. Lee, 21, from Coulsdon, south London, was apprehended in the country's capital Columbo last week after she was allegedly caught with 46kg of the synthetic strain of cannabis kush, worth an estimated £1.2 million, in her suitcase. The former TUI stewardess had arrived into the country from Bangkok, Thailand, before being taken into custody by police at Bandaranaike Airport on Monday. She has since been detained in the woman's ward of Negombo Prison just north of the capital. The Brit has claimed she had "no idea" there were drugs in her suitcase and has been eager to share her side of the story, including going days without food as she feels the meals are "too spicy." Should Lee be found guilty, she could face years behind bars. Here are seven bombshells from the saga so far... Claim drugs were planted Lee has vigorously defended herself and denied intentionally smuggling drugs into Sri Lanka, claiming the huge amount of synthetic cannabis must have been planted. Speaking to Mail Online, she said: "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." She claimed to have left her bags at a hotel before heading for a night out in Bangkok and did not check them the following morning as she had packed them before she went out. "They must have planted it then," she continued. "I know who did it." Avoiding prison food The Brit has complained about conditions inside the prison, taking a particular dislike to the food on offer to inmates. Lee told the outlet that she had complained to her legal representatives about the standard of meals inside the jail. "I've not eaten in two days because the food is just too spicy for me," Lee said. "I have told my lawyers - I have three of them - that I need different food. They said they would sort that but they still haven't. I don't know why." Grim prison conditions The ex-TUI cabin crew employee claimed she has been forced to sleep on a concrete floor and that she needs to use her own jumper as a pillow. Lee also said she had not been given a change of cloths and had been denied access to her ADHD medication. Prison staff only offered to give her sleeping tablets that she said "properly knock you out." Lee added there was no real shower, instead prisoners were forced to use a bucket to pour over themselves. The Brit and other prisoners are also only allowed to spend two or three hours outside, although this can sometimes be longer if there are a lot of women in court on that particular day. 'Can't trust' lawyers Lee said she "can't trust' many people in prison, including the lawyers. She claimed prison staff and lawyers "don't care about you" and that she has nothing inside the jail, although other prisoners have been willing to share some items with her. The Londoner is facing one charge of possessing illegal drugs and another of importing illegal drugs into the country. Lee 'completely lost' An unnamed legal source told Mail Online Lee appeared "completely" lost as the magnitude of the situation took its toll. "She was crying a lot and was all on her own," the source added. "It looked like she didn't have any idea about what was going on," the source continued. They added it was unclear what was going to happen to her in the near future. Struggle to contact family Lee has claimed to have struggled to get in touch with family members, not even being able to write them a letter. She added: "There is no communication. You are told nothing. I couldn't arrange an e-visit." The Brit did admit being able to speak with some of the other female inmates in English and that they have shared biscuits with her. Other Brits in the prison are men, according to the detainee, and that she is unable to speak with them as they are held elsewhere in the jail. Scandal-hit prison Trainee nail technician Lee could be transferred to Welikada Prison in Colombo in the near future, according to the legal source. The prison is a maximum security facility that holds both men and women. But it is not without controversy. The prison was the site of riots in 2012 where 27 people died. It has also bee branded "hell" for women with maggots and rats running rife around cramped cells.
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Ex-TUI stewardess in hellhole prison claims she knows who planted stash on her
Charlotte May Lee, 21, was stopped at an airport in Sri Lanka with authorities claiming she was carrying cannabis valued at more than £1m - she says she had no idea it was there A former TUI stewardess allegedly caught with cannabis valued at £1.2million in Sri Lanka claims she was set up and knows who did it. Charlotte May Lee, 21, is accused of trying to smuggle the synthetic cannabis drug 'kush' into Sri Lanka. She was arrested after landing in Sri Lanka from Thailand last week, and is accused of having 46kg of the drug in her luggage. The part-time beautician from Chipstead, Surrey is currently being held in a "rotting" cell near the capital of Colombo, where she awaits her first court appearance today. She had just landed from Bangkok when she was arrested at Bandaranaike Airport and she has been held in custody since last Monday. Currently she is at Negombo Prison, north of the capital, and has said she was completely unaware that there were drugs in her luggage. She told MailOnline: "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. They must have planted it then." And she added: "I know who did it." Miss Lee said she had been working on a 'booze cruise' in Thailand. She claimed she took a trip to Sri Lanka nearby as her 30-day visa was about to expire and she could wait there before getting a new one. "I thought while I was waiting for the visa that I'd come to Sri Lanka. They [the people she believed planted the drugs] were supposed to meet me here. But now I'm here - stuck in this jail," she said. After her arrest she was held for a week at the Police Narcotics Bureau and fears a long sentence if she is convicted. One pal who had spoken to her since she was detained told the Sun: "She thinks she's going away for a long time. She is scared but talks of becoming very friendly with a prison guard." While she is currently able to see visitors 9.30am until 4.30pm during the day, this will become heavily restricted once she is formally charged in court today, leaving her feeling "scared", her friend added. It is understood Charlotte's family will not be flying over to visit her. The 21-year-old ex-TUI stewardess is also said to be "aware" of the recent case involving 18-year-old Bella May Culley , who was detained at Tbilisi Airport, Georgia this month for allegedly carrying 14kg of cannabis in her bag.
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Two Brit 'drug mule' trips mapped as key connection made in strange cases
British suspected drug mules Bella Culley and ex-TUI air hostess Charlotte Lee shared a very key connection in their strange cases, it has been revealed following their arrests British teenager Bella May Culley and former air hostess Charlotte Lee were both arrested this month on separate drug smuggling charges - and they both left from the same airport. Bella, 18, was detained in Tbilisi, Georgia, on May 13, despite going on holiday to Thailand on May 3. Her family lost contact with the teenager shortly after, and she was reported missing before suddenly turning up almost 4,000 miles away. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Charlotte was arrested in Colombo, Sri Lanka last week. She was allegedly carrying 46kg of a synthetic drug called kush inside two suitcases when she was detained. But, while both were detained in separate countries, they both departed from the very same airport. Both Bella and Charlotte left Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport this month, and they were both travelling on their own. It's also claimed that police found air-tight packages containing drugs on both suspects, and were likely stacked by professionals. Both Bella and Charlotte told their families they were meeting a man during their trip to Thailand. Bella's grandad, William Culley, 80, previously claimed that the teen had planned to meet someone named "Russ or Ross". If both Brits are found guilty of drug smuggling, Bella and Charlotte could face at least 20 years and 25 years in prison, respectively. Bella's lawyer, Mariam Kublashvili, said she's being denied medical care while being held and awaiting trial. She said: "She is pregnant and needs medical care which she complained she wasn't getting – there were no tests or checks or medical examinations done, she told me. She said she asked for a doctor, but the doctor wasn't speaking English and they couldn't understand each other." Bella also asked for a jumper, warmer clothes and fresh fruit. Ms Kublashvili said the fruit - and requests for tuna - are pregnancy cravings. The Georgian prosecutor asked for 55 days to gather evidence against Bella, who had recently finishing a college programme in the UK in the hope to become a nurse. She's also reportedly sharing a cell with two inmates at notorious Women's Penitentiary Number Five in the nation, which borders Russia. In Sri Lanka, Charlotte is being held in a "hellhole" overcrowded prison, after being accused of smuggling £1.2million of kush into the country. She is currently being held in a local jail, Negombo Prison, while her case progresses through the courts. If she's found guilty of the charges, Charlotte faces being sent to Welikada Prison - Sri Lanka's largest, maximum security jail. One anonymous female prisoner said, in an interview in 2011: "We are treated as far less than human. About 150 of us sleep in a cell designed for 75 people. "An open drain infested with rats runs the perimeter of the room. Recently, one of the inmates was bitten and had to be rushed to the hospital for an anti-rabies shot." A friend, close to the Lee family, told the Sun on Sunday: "We're frantically worried. She was arrested then seemingly abandoned and is rotting in a jail cell. She's very scared." Another friend added: "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."
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Brit stewardess fears being locked away for 20 years over £1.2m drugs bust
British nail technician Charlotte May Lee, 21, is accused of trying to smuggle the synthetic opioid 'kush' into Sri Lanka - and fears she could spend decades in jail after being caught A British former flight stewardess caught in an alleged £1.2million drugs bust is worried she could spend decades in prison, according to her friends. Charlotte May Lee, 21, is accused of trying to smuggle the synthetic drug 'kush' into Sri Lanka - an addictive substance 25 times stronger than fentanyl. She was arrested after landing in Sri Lanka from Thailand last week, and is accused of having 46kg of the drug in her luggage. The part-time beautician from Chipstead, Surrey is currently being held in a "rotting" cell in the capital of Colombo, where she awaits her first court appearance tomorrow. One pal who had spoken to her since she was detained told the Sun: "She thinks she's going away for a long time. She is scared but talks of becoming very friendly with a prison guard." While she is currently able to see visitors 9.30am until 4.30pm during the day, this will become heavily restricted once she is formally charged in court tomorrow, leaving her feeling "scared", her friend added. It is understood that Charlotte's family will not be flying over to visit her. The 21-year-old ex-TUI stewardess is also said to be "aware" of the recent case involving 18-year-old Bella May Culley, who was detained at Tbilisi Airport, Georgia this month for allegedly carrying 14kg of cannabis in her bag. The British teenager had been reported missing from her getaway in Thailand by worried friends and family, but days later Georgian authorities informed police back in the UK that she was in the country and being held in custody. Charlotte and Bella did not know each other, friends say, and the 21-year-old "doesn't know if there is any connection" between their cases. Bella, from Billingham, Teesside faces a maximum sentence of live in prison. The teenager has said told guards she is pregnant - and says she has not received medical care in prison. She's currently being held in Georgia's only female prison, just outside of the capital Tbilisi, where prisoners have complained on many occasions about "degrading" treatment. Lawyer Mariam Kublashvili said on Monday: "She is pregnant and needs medical care which she complained she wasn't getting – there were no tests or checks or medical examinations done, she told me. "She said she asked for a doctor, but the doctor wasn't speaking English and they couldn't understand each other." Bella's lawyer has said Georgia's prosecutor asked for 55 days to gather evidence against her, suggesting her trial could begin as soon as July.
