• A British woman, Charlotte May Lee, was arrested in Sri Lanka for smuggling 46kg of synthetic cannabis.
• Authorities seized nearly 60kg of synthetic cannabis from foreign nationals this month.
• The case represents a significant drug bust at Colombo's Bandaranaike Airport.
• Lee claims the drugs were planted in her luggage while she was in Bangkok.
• She faces a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Charlotte May Lee, a 21-year-old British woman, was arrested in Sri Lanka on May 12 for allegedly trying to smuggle 46 kilograms (101 pounds) of kush, a potent synthetic drug. The seized drugs were found in her suitcase at Colombo's Bandaranaike Airport. According to customs officials, this incident could be the largest drug bust at the airport in recent times, signaling an ongoing issue with drug smuggling in the region, particularly coming from areas like Bangkok, Thailand, where Lee had flown from prior to her arrest, as reported by BBC and Channel News Asia.

Lee has denied any knowledge of the drugs, claiming they must have been planted in her luggage at her hotel in Bangkok. She expressed distress over her situation, stating, "I didn’t expect it all when they pulled me over at the airport," and that she is experiencing harsh conditions in prison, including sleeping on a concrete floor. Her legal representative, Sampath Perera, has been visiting her to provide support as she faces a daunting legal battle, potentially leading to 25 years in prison if convicted, according to BBC and India Times.

Alongside Lee, authorities arrested other individuals attempting to smuggle drugs, including a 33-year-old Indian man carrying 4 kilograms of kush and a 21-year-old Thai man with nearly 8 kilograms. The sheer volume of recent drug seizures indicates that Sri Lanka is increasingly becoming a transit hub for international drug trafficking, with authorities taking a hard stance on such smuggling operations. In 2023 alone, several other cases involving large quantities of narcotics have been highlighted, showcasing the persistent challenge faced by law enforcement, based on reports by Channel News Asia and India Times.