A young British woman arrested in Sri Lanka on drug smuggling charges says she’s been left starving, sleepless and scared in a prison.
Charlotte Lee May, 21, from Coulsdon in south London, was found with over 46kg of high-grade cannabis known as ‘Kush’ in her luggage at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport last week. But from behind bars in the women’s ward of Negombo Prison, the former TUI cabin crew member insists she had no idea the drugs were in her bag—and now she’s living a nightmare.
“I haven’t eaten for two days,” Charlotte told MailOnline. “The food is too spicy, there’s no bed, no blanket. I’m sleeping on a concrete floor with just my jumper as a pillow. I feel like I have no human rights here.”
Charlotte, who says she came to Sri Lanka for a short trip while renewing her Thai visa, claims someone planted the drugs in her luggage while she was out partying the night before her flight.
“They must have planted it then,” she said. “I know who did it.”
Since her arrest, she’s been held in appalling conditions. There are no basic amenities, no access to her medication for ADHD, and little communication with the outside world.
“There’s a fan, but it doesn’t work. There’s a TV, but that doesn’t work either. They’ve given me nothing—no clothes, no soap, nothing,” Charlotte said. “The shower is just a bucket, and you only get a couple of hours of sunlight a day. It’s like being buried alive.”
She was remanded in custody after appearing in Negombo Magistrates Court on Sunday, and could face up to a year—or even two—on remand as her case drags through the system. If convicted, Charlotte could be sentenced to 25 years in Sri Lanka’s notorious Welikada Prison, infamous for riots, maggot-infested food, and overcrowded cells.
“I’m trying to stay positive,” Charlotte added. “But I came in here with nothing. I have nothing. And no one here seems to care.”
Back in the UK, the Foreign Office has confirmed it is supporting a British national arrested in Sri Lanka and is in contact with her family and local authorities. Meanwhile, Charlotte will be forced to appear in court every 14 days until a verdict is reached. (With inputs from Daily Mail)
