Latest news with #kush
The Sun
30-05-2025
- Health
- The 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. 2 2 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." 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. is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- News.com.au
Former flight attendant caught smuggling deadly new drug
A former flight attendant caught smuggling over 45kg of a deadly new synthetic drug made of human bones faces up to 25 years in a Sri Lankan prison. Charlotte May Lee, 21, from the United Kingdom, was seized at Bandaranaike Airport in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo earlier this month after allegedly carrying suitcases full of 'kush,' a new drug originating in West Africa which kills an estimated dozen people a week in Sierra Leone alone. Lee, from south London, claimed the drug stash — which has a reported street value of $3.3 million — was planted in her suitcases without her knowledge, her lawyer, Sampath Perera, told the BBC. She is being held in harsh conditions in a jail north of Colombo where she has to sleep on a concrete floor, though Mr Perera said she's been in contact with her family. The haul made on May 12 is the biggest seizure of the relatively new drug in Sri Lankan history. Customs officers posed proudly with the stash, which could land Lee a 25-year prison sentence if she is found guilty of smuggling. Lee had been working in Thailand when she was forced to leave because her 30-day visa was due to run out, so she decided to take a three-hour flight to Sri Lanka while she waited for the renewal of her Thai visa, her lawyer said. 'I had never seen them [the drugs] 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,' Lee told the Daily Mail from prison. She also implied she knew who had 'planted' the drugs in her suitcases, but wouldn't name them. 'They must have planted it then,' she said. 'I know who did it.' Kush, which is most popular with young men, can cause individuals to fall asleep while walking, collapse unexpectedly and even wander into moving traffic. One of the drug's many ingredients is reportedly human bones, and the insatiable desire for the substance has even led to ghoulish grave robbers raiding cemeteries in Sierra Leone. The country's president declared a state of emergency over abuse of kush last year, while security has reportedly been tightened in graveyards to stop the digging up of skeletons. Branding kush a 'death trap,' Sierra Leone's President, Julius Maada Bio, said the drug posed an 'existential crisis' to his nation. Lee flew out of Bangkok around the same time as another young British woman was facing drug smuggling charges. Bella Culley, from County Durham, northeast England, was arrested in the former Soviet nation of Georgia on May 10 after allegedly flying to the capital, Tbilisi, via the United Arab Emirates with more than 13kg of marijuana and hashish in her luggage. She is accused of 'illegally purchasing and storing a particularly large amount of narcotics, illegally purchasing and storing the narcotic drug marijuana, and illegally importing it into Georgia,' the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement earlier this year. Sri Lankan authorities have warned of a huge increase in drugs arriving in the country via Bangkok. 'Another passenger who had left Bangkok airport, almost at the same time, was arrested in another country. We arrested this lady [Lee] based on profiling,' a senior Sri Lanka customs officer told the BBC. 'This has been a rule nuisance,' he added, referring to the drug scourge.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- BBC News
British woman accused of smuggling drugs into Sri Lanka in suitcase
A British woman has been arrested in Sri Lanka after police allegedly found 101lbs (46kg) of the synthetic drug kush in her suitcase. Custom officers posed for pictures with bags of drugs they accuse Charlotte May Lee, 21, from south London, of attempting to smuggle into the country earlier this month. The former flight attendant denies knowing there were drugs in her suitcase and says she believes they were planted there. Ms Lee is being held in a prison north of the south Asian country's capital, Colombo, and is contact with her family, her lawyer told the BBC. She could face up to 25 years in prison if found guilty. Her legal representative, Sampath Perera, told the BBC his team was visiting her daily in prison in the city of Negombo, to provide support and monitor her wellbeing. A senior officer in the Sri Lanka Customs Narcotics Control Unit said the seizure at Colombo's Bandaranaike Airport on 5 May was the biggest in its history. Ms Lee told Mail Online on Wednesday: "I had never seen them [the drugs] 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 told the paper she had been in Thai capital, Bangkok, prior to the flight, and packed her suitcase in her hotel room before heading out for the night. "They must have planted it then," she said. "I know who did it."She did not check her bag again before heading to Colombo, where she was arrested on 12 May, said Ms Lee. Ms Lee went to Sri Lanka as her visa was about to expire and she wanted a trip somewhere nearby before heading back to Thailand, she told the newspaper. She added that she faces harsh conditions in the prison, including sleeping on a concrete floor. Ms Lee is said to have flown from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport around the same time as another British woman, Bella Culley, 18, from Billingham, County Durham, who is being held in Georgia on suspicion of drug offences.A senior customs officer in Sri Lanka told the BBC: "On the same day, another passenger who had left Bangkok airport, almost at the same time, was arrested in another country. We arrested this lady [Ms Lee] based on profiling."He said there had been a massive increase in drugs coming via Bangkok into Sri Lanka. "This has been a real nuisance."Ms Culley could face up to 20 years in jail or life imprisonment if found guilty. She is being detained before trial while the authorities investigates where 26lbs (12kg) of marijuana and 4.4lbs (2kg) of hashish found in a travel bag came from, and whether she was planning on handing it over to someone else.
The Sun
23-05-2025
- The Sun
Brit ‘drug mule' Charlotte Lee ‘washing by having glass of water tipped on her head' as grim new prison details revealed
ALLEGED drug mule Charlotte May Lee is washing by 'having a glass of water poured over her head' as grim new details about her life behind bars have been revealed. The Brit claimed that she didn't know she was smuggling £1.2million worth of the synthetic drug kush into Sri Lanka before she was detained - and called her allegations 'made up'. 9 9 9 Emotional Charlotte May, 21, was told she may not be sentenced for another 12 months - and will face at least 20 years in the 'hellish' Welikada Prison if convicted. Her pals believe she was besotted by a mystery man named Rocko - a key piece of information which could be crucial to her defence. She will plead 'not guilty' at the next court hearing, which could take place in a fortnight, mates said. Prosecutors will argue her experience as a stewardess with holiday airline TUI proves she, 'knew to check her luggage before a flight'. Charlotte had work done on her teeth, hair extensions fitted, and bought designer bags and trainers, before she headed from the UK to Thailand on holiday to hook up with mystery man Rocko. 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'. Brit 'drug smuggler' Bella Culley 'starving' in ex-Soviet hell prison - as she reveals pregnancy craving to celeb lawyer An unknown British man was waiting for Charlotte when she arrived on a flight to Colombo from Thailand last Monday. She was nicked when cops found a record amount of deadly super-strong synthetic cannabinoid kush. 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'. Charlotte, of Chipstead in Surrey, claimed the drugs found in her suitcase were "planted" on her. 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. 9 9 9 "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 the huge amount of illegal substances were planted in her luggage in a planned move by dangerous dealers in Southeast Asia. And Charlotte said: "I know who did it." 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. Why Brit backpackers are prime targets, Thai cop reveals By Patrick Harrington, Foreign News Reporter Police Lieutenant Colonel Arun Musikim, Deputy Inspector of the Surat Thani province police force, said: 'Cases involving British nationals smuggling cannabis have been around for a while. 'There is a lot of cannabis grown on Thailand's islands in the south because the climate is suitable and it is legal. A lot of gangs are attracted to this. 'There are now various smuggling methods that we have seen. Some carry it themselves, some hire backpackers, and some send it via mail. 'This year, there have been many cases we have intercepted. Most involve British and Malaysian nationals. 'It's easy for British citizens to travel as they can enter Thailand and return to the UK without needing a visa. 'Most of the smugglers are people hired to carry the cannabis, similar to how tourists might smuggle tax-free goods. 'They're usually unemployed individuals from the UK. The gangs offer them flights, pocket money and hotel stays, just to come and travel and take a bag back home with them. 'These people often have poor social standing at home and are looking for ways to earn quick money. They find them through friends or on social media. 'Many will go to festivals or parties while they are here, just like they are having a normal trip abroad. 'They are told that it is easy and they will not be caught. Then the amount the organisers can sell the cannabis for in the UK is much higher than it costs in Thailand. 'Police suspect that there are multiple employers and groups receiving the drugs on the other end. The cannabis then enters the UK market. 'We are being vigilant to ensure there are no routes out of the country.' It comes as a friend of Charlotte's revealed she is aware of the similar case of Bella Culley. However, the two youngsters have never met, and Charlotte "doesn't know if there is any connection" to her own ordeal. Shocking images published by customs officials in Sri Lanka show how drugs had been allegedly stuffed into Charlotte's luggage in large vacuum-sealed bags. Bella's alleged stash was also discovered in stacked, airtight packages pointing to a similar-style operation. And in another twist, the two had individually told their loved ones they planned on meeting a mystery man during their travels. Bella revealed to her family she was meeting an unknown man in the Philippines who had moved to the country from the North East. Sri Lanka's maximum security Welikada Prison is notoriously 'hellish', with 650 women in a ward designed for 150 cons. Riots have erupted due to poor conditions, including the sweltering heat. A former partner of Charlotte arrested in connection with allegations that he mistreated her is now expected to have his case dropped. The tattooed muscle man released a video dancing a jig - seemingly celebrating her shocking arrest and the dramatic turn of events. 9 9
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
The super psychoactive cannabis taking over the world: Warning over kush containing cannabis, fentanyl, and 'ground up human BONES' - as British 'drugs mule' is detained with £1.5million haul
Experts have issued an urgent warning about a terrifying new psychoactive drug dubbed 'kush', after a former cabin crew member was accused of smuggling £1.5 million worth of the deadly drug into Sri Lanka. Charlotte May Lee, 21, from Coulsdon, south London, was detained at Colombo airport on Monday, after arriving on a flight from Bangkok. According to sources, authorities seized 46kg of kush as Miss Lee arrived from Thailand on a SriLankan Airlines flight. Kush is a highly potent strain of cannabis. It's made by spraying leaves with a mixture containing synthetic cannabinoids, formaldehyde, fentanyl. According to some reports, the drug even contains ground-down human bones. Since 2022, an even more dangerous form of kush has emerged, containing synthetic opioids called nitazenes, which can be 25 times more powerful than fentanyl. Smoking the toxic drug produces euphoria, confusion, and sleepiness - often causing users to fall over and hit their heads on hard surfaces or wander into traffic. What is kush? Dr Kars de Bruijne, senior research fellow at the Clingendael Institute and author of a report on kush, told MailOnline that there are two forms of kush on the market. Both start with a base of plant matter, such as marshmallow leaf, which is then sprayed with one of two psychoactive chemical mixtures. Some forms of Kush are sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids, chemicals designed to mimic the natural psychoactive compounds found in the cannabis plant. The synthetic chemicals are many times more powerful than even the strongest cannabis strains and can often have severe harmful side effects. The second, more recent form of kush is sprayed with a mixture of synthetic opioids called nitazenes. Dr de Bruijne says: 'It's an opioid so it's similar to heroin, but it's very strong and it's deadly because even a little more than a milligram too much is able to kill someone. 'What we've seen in Sierra Leone is that it is overdoses which kill.' Smoking kush causes euphoria, confusion, and sleepiness. This often leads users to become injured after collapsing in the street, hitting their heads on the ground, or walking into traffic What is kush? Kush is a powerful drug produced by spraying chemicals onto leaves. One form contains synthetic cannabinoids, chemicals designed to mimic the natural psychoactive compounds found in cannabis. The other form of kush contains synthetic opioids called nitazenes. These nitazenes can be 25 times more potent than fentanyl, and even small errors can lead to fatal overdoses. Smoking kush causes euphoria, confusion, and sleepiness. This often leads users to become injured after collapsing in the street, hitting their heads on the ground, or walking into traffic The drug is most common in West Africa, particularly Sierra Leone. In a report for the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, Dr de Bruijne found that 50 per cent of kush samples tested in the lab contained nitazenes. However, as kush moves through the market, it is cut and adulterated with numerous other chemicals, including formaldehyde, the painkiller tramadol, and even rat poison. Most infamously, there are numerous unsubstantiated reports that kush contains human bones. Although Dr de Bruijne's testing wasn't designed to detect human bone, he says: 'Everyone we spoke to that is a bit more serious in that market says they don't make it using human bones.' Dr de Bruijne suggests that the rumour originated from the fact that early forms of kush used the synthetic cannabinoid ADB, a greyish-white powder with the street name 'bone'. Combined with the fact that kush is sprayed with formaldehyde, which is used by mortuaries to preserve bodies, it is easy to see how the rumour began. However, some are concerned that these rumours may have some basis in reality in a few fringe cases. 'I've also been speaking to people in the judicial system, and they have said that there is an increase in cemeteries where graves have been opened,' Dr de Bruijne explained. 'I think in Sierra Leone it happens more often that rumour turns into a reality. However, the spike in grave robbing might be better explained by addicts searching for valuables to sell and, as yet, there have been no confirmed cases of body parts in kush. What does kush do to your body? Since kush can contain so many different chemicals, the effects on your body can vary widely. In terms of its psychoactive effects, synthetic cannabinoids produce a response similar to that of cannabis, including relaxation and altered states of consciousness. Nitazenes, meanwhile, trigger an intense state of euphoria and relaxation as well as nausea, vomiting, and fever symptoms. Users also describe the high as being accompanied by a pounding pressure in the head and joints. Over long periods of use, the drug causes swelling of the legs and feet, leading to sores and wounds which can become infected. However, it is not currently clear why the drug has this effect. Why is kush so dangerous? Kush is a particularly dangerous drug because, once produced and sold, it is almost impossible to know what it contains. At any point in the supply chain, distributors might have added unknown amounts of chemicals that could cause adverse reactions. But the biggest risk is posed by the addition of nitazenes, which are both extremely strong and highly addictive. Dr de Bruijne says that dealers call kush 'fast cash' because of how rapidly users become addicted and ramp up their consumption. In Sierra Leone, an individual joint may cost as little as five leones (20 UK pence), but users can smoke up to 30 per day. That is an enormous expense in a country where the average income is just £500 per year, often driving users into a life of crime to fund their habit. Nitazenes also create a serious risk of overdose due to their potency, with experts warning that the drug has killed thousands of people in West Africa already. Last year, a group of toxicologists from Imperial College, London warned that nitazenes were leading to a 'sharp rise' in overdose deaths in the UK. Where is kush made? According to the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, the kush found in West Africa comes from two locations. Either the raw ingredients are imported from China and mixed in-country, or pre-made kush is imported from Europe. From the European side, Dr de Bruijne says that the UK and the Netherlands have emerged as leading exporters. 'I've been speaking to people in that market to serious levels; they all pointed to the UK as the area of origin,' says Dr de Bruijne. 'When you speak to people in the port in Sierra Leone, they often point to or mention the UK.' However, it's not yet clear whether the kush is being manufactured in the UK or simply moved through the country from another location. Dr de Bruijne suggests that production lines are changing rapidly since the Taliban seized Afghanistan and destroyed the country's opium poppy trade, a precursor for producing heroin. 'The global supply of heroin is going down; the estimate from law enforcement is that the big cartels are preparing for a situation with less heroin and trying to find alternatives in synthetic opioids,' he explained. Ms Lee was detained in Colombo on Monday after arriving on a flight from Bangkok. Authorities accuse her of attempting to smuggle 46kg of 'kush' into the country. Currently, the form of 'kush' containing nitazenes is an almost exclusively West African drug. Although nitazenes themselves are found increasingly throughout Europe, the specific mixed form is much less common. This makes it less certain which form of kush Charlotte May Lee is accused of smuggling. Lucia Bird, director of the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime's West Africa Observatory, told MailOnline: 'Key is to note that "kush" is a street name in Sierra Leone and elsewhere. 'Consequently, it is difficult to know whether something seized that is called "kush" is necessarily the same drug from the perspective of chemical composition if no chemical testing has been carried out.' Ms Bird suggests that the drug in question was more likely to be cannabis and that the smuggling route is not tied to West Africa. However, Ms Bird says that, if chemical testing does confirm the presence of nitazenes, it would be an 'indication of additional global spread of nitazenes, including in what were previously synthetic cannabinoid supply chains.' Current reports suggest that kush typically arrives in Africa from Europe. The UK and the Netherlands appear to be the most common origin points of pre-made kush. This does not mean that kush is made in the UK, but it is, at least, a key point in the supply chain. It is not clear where the nitazenes in kush are being produced.
