A 21-year-old woman from the United Kingdom has been arrested in Sri Lanka for allegedly smuggling a large quantity of "kush" — a dangerous synthetic drug made from toxic chemicals and ground-up human bones. Charlotte May Lee, a former flight attendant from south London, was apprehended earlier this month at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport after authorities discovered over 100 pounds (approximately 45 kg) of the drug in her suitcases. The haul, estimated to be worth over $3.3 million, marks the largest seizure of kush in the airport’s history.
Currently detained in a jail north of Colombo, Lee is facing charges that could lead to a prison sentence of up to 25 years. According to her legal team, she denies any involvement and insists the drugs were planted without her knowledge. Lee claims she had been in Thailand awaiting a visa renewal and made a short trip to Sri Lanka as a temporary measure. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said she knew who had planted the drugs but refused to name the individual.
Her lawyer, Sampath Perera, stated that his team is providing daily support to monitor her mental and physical well-being while she awaits trial. Sri Lankan authorities, however, remain firm in their stance, noting the severity of the drug crisis in other countries where kush has taken root, especially Sierra Leone, where it reportedly claims a dozen lives per week.
Kush first emerged in West Africa roughly seven years ago and has since gained notoriety for its hypnotic high and horrifying ingredients. It is reportedly made with a mixture of toxic substances, including ground human bone, leading to the rise of grave robbing to supply the black market. The drug has become a national crisis in Sierra Leone, prompting President Julius Maada Bio to declare a state of emergency last year. He cited escalating fatalities and widespread substance abuse as a threat to the nation's future.
Efforts are now underway in Sierra Leone to combat kush addiction, with the government setting up rehabilitation centers staffed with professionals to support affected individuals. With its spread into Asia and now Europe through international trafficking, authorities fear kush could become a broader global epidemic. Charlotte Lee's arrest marks one of the first major international incidents tied to the smuggling of the substance, highlighting the growing concern around its proliferation.
