masses of cocaine to the Island via American couriers and distributed it to dozens of alleged "Bermuda connections''.

Supreme Court further heard that the Miami-based Cubans had good reason to consider Bermuda "their territory''. It was claimed they had been running regular one-kilo cocaine shipments to the Island for ten years before Police caught up with them in 1990.

The startling disclosures were made by one of the Cuban's star drug couriers, American Angela Trepasso.

Her arrest led to the downfall of the local side of the Cuban "organisation''.

Trepasso, imprisoned at the Co-Ed Facility, was testifying against alleged drug smuggler Larry Ebbin, 35, on the third day of his trial.

She told jurors a grim tale of how she became a drug runner after getting fired from her nursing job when her urine tested positive for cocaine.

Her fiance Harry Owens and Cuban brothers Hugo Mata and Marcus Cojab, who headed the drug empire, had plotted to have her fired, she said. Owens had called the hospital and told them she used the drug.

They wanted her to lose her job so she would be desperate for money and agree to courier drugs for them, she said.

Trepasso testified she managed to smuggle some eight kilos of cocaine to Bermuda between December, 1989 and May, 1990 -- despite two very close calls.

She also managed to take a whopping $250,000 in cash out of the Island via air by strapping it to her body in "money bricks'', she said.

Her first trip to Bermuda for the Cubans went smoothly, jurors heard. And it was the only trip during which she made contact with the accused and his roommate Dexter Dillas, she claimed.

In December, 1989 she testified that she flew a kilo of cocaine to Bermuda and gave it to a Cuban-Chinese man named Julio (Chino) Junkie who was to distribute it, giving some to Ebbin and Dexter Dillas. She was paid $4,000 plus expenses.

Despite orders not to contact anyone, including Ebbin and Dillas, Trepasso telephoned them. She said they met her, took her to their apartment where she smoked crack with them and then dropped her back at the Sonesta Beach Hotel, staying the night .

The Cubans found out, and as a result Cojab's girlfriend was sent along on her next trip to watch her, she said. They did not think it was appropriate for her to socialise on "business'' trips.

But on the second trip, her "babysitter'' was arrested at the Airport with her hotel name and room number in her handbag.

Trepasso said she got orders from the Cubans to "get out of Bermuda'' soon.

She had already given the cocaine to middle-man Antonio Miranda and left the next day with no problems.

Trepasso amused jurors when she told how, on her third trip, with $179,000 cash strapped to her body, she was arrested at the Airport for not paying her hotel phone bill.

But after Police charged her with theft and saw that she paid the bill, they let her go, driving her to the Paraquet guest house to spend the night.

At the guest house, she said Miranda met her and made a phone call to a lawyer which she overheard.

But Crown counsel Mr. Diarmuid Doorly told her she did not have to tell the court the lawyer's name.

Trepasso testified she overheard Miranda tell the lawyer "not to worry -- she had gotten off on her own and still had the money''. She claimed she also overheard Miranda tell the lawyer he had "gotten in touch with Marcus''.

Jurors heard Trepasso got a flight out the next day -- after Miranda strapped a further $71,000 to her body. She arrived safely back in New Jersey.

Having impressed the Cubans, she was asked to move to Miami to be closer to them. Trepasso said she agreed and stayed at the Cuban brothers' mansion "Hibiscus Island'' before finding her own apartment.

The Cubans wasted no time booking her onto a cruise aboard the Royal Viking Star on May 10, 1990. She said she was given three and a half kilos of cocaine to take with her.

She testified that she cleared Customs and checked into the Mermaid Beach Hotel where Miranda picked up the cocaine.

Trepasso said she was given $9,000 to change into US currency. However, she was only able to change $3,000 because the Bank of Butterfield required ID for such a transaction.

She claimed she gave the money back to Miranda who then passed it on to Ted Ming in Pa-La-Ville Park. Miranda told her Ming "usually'' changed up money for the Cubans, she said.

Later that day Miranda met her at Mermaid bringing US$19,000 for her to smuggle out.

Trepasso will continue her testimony on Monday before Puisne Judge the Hon.

Mrs. Justice Wade.

Ebbin has denied importing cocaine between May 11 and May 20, 1990 and conspiring to import the drug between October, 1988 and May 17, 1990 with others not before the court.

He was jailed for 20 years with Ming, Dillas, and Smith. Ming and Smith were later freed by the Appeal Court, but re-trials were ordered for Dillas (currently serving 18 years) and Ebbin.