Seventeen Bermuda Regiment soldiers were taken to hospital and x-rayed when they returned from camp in Jamaica on Saturday after Police received a tip-off that they were carrying drugs.

Drug sniffer dogs detected the smell of cannabis from the soldiers when they arrived at Bermuda International Airport, but x-ray tests found no drugs.

Police said last night the tip-off came from Jamaica, where the Regiment was on a two week training camp.

Regiment Colonel David Gibbons said the soldiers' luggage was checked before they went on two days recreational leave at the end of the exercise and was isolated after being found to be drug-free.

He said another search was carried out of their personal belongings at the airport in Jamaica and found to be clean, but officers then received a tip-off that some soldiers who had gone on leave in Kingston and Port Antonio had been exposed to drugs and might be smuggling them back to the Island.

Cannabis is widely available in Jamaica and stories are constantly circulating of Regiment soldiers smoking the drug while on training camp.

Col Gibbons said he was concerned that sniffer dogs picked up the smell of cannabis, which he believed might have happened when soldiers were exposed to the drug.

He said that while he did not believe any soldiers would "of their own volition" try to smuggle drugs into Bermuda, some might be manipulated by others.

"Yes it does worry me. We gave them night leave on Friday in Port Antonio and before that we sent people out to get a feel for the place and drugs were being consumed in those places," he said.

"We were happy with the search but we received some intelligence that was passed to the Police that indicated that some soldiers had been exposed directly to drugs and there was cause for concern about that. So we worked with Police and a further search was done.

"I don't believe any of our soldiers would bring it in of their own volition. I am more concerned that they might have been manipulated to import it, and as such, while it was a convenience for those who had to go to the hospital, I am very relieved that they were all cleared. I am happy that drugs did not come back to our streets."

He said that regiment second in command, lawyer Larry Mussenden, accompanied the suspected soldiers to the hospital and waited with them until they were all given the all-clear.

The Police statement read: "We did act on information received in Jamaica which strongly indicated that some soldiers were in possession of controlled drugs.

"On arrival at Bermuda International Airport, the dogs did alert to the presence of drugs, although no drugs were found.

"Seventeen soldiers were conveyed to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and were x-rayed after voluntarily signing consent forms. All x-rays proved to be negative.

"The Bermuda Police Service is appreciative of the diligent efforts of the Bermuda Regiment personnel to minimise the opportunity for drugs to be conveyed to Bermuda from the annual camp.

"The Bermuda Police Service, the Bermuda Regiment and HM Customs all realise that controlled drugs are readily available in Jamaica and we work together to prevent importation into Bermuda."