That's what two Pakistani businessmen last night told The Royal Gazette prior to leaving Bermuda aboard British Airways flight 232 bound for London's Gatwick Airport.

"Bermuda's a nice place with nice people but it never really worked out for us,'' 27-year-old Tahir Choudry said in a farewell interview.

Their departure concludes the final chapter of a bizaare tale of intrigue and allegations of international terrorism.

The controversy started in early August when the four Pakistani visitors claimed they were locked up, strip searched and accused of being terrorists by Bermuda Police and Immigration officials acting on information from US and UK authorities.

The men, all in their 20s, were stopped at the International Airport while trying to board a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. They were singled out of a crowd of 200 people, had their property searched and then told that despite having valid passports, visas, and return tickets, they would not be allowed to proceed.

The men claimed they were victims of American immigration officers "out to get them''.

While packing to leave the Island, Tahir Choudry, the group's spokesman, was reluctant to talk about their "vacation'': "I've been told not to talk to the media and I don't want to be stopped for the fifth time,'' he told The Royal Gazette .

"The past ten days have been pretty bad; it's not what a vacation is supposed to be. It's been uncomfortable.

"I know we've been watched for a number of days. The Brown charter ticket agent told us the Police came and asked what we were doing in there; where we were going... I really do think I've said enough, I have to go,'' said Mr.

Choudry.

Mr. Choudry and Kashif Ahmad, 23, are expected to fly from the UK on to Pakistan. Their two companions, Mohammad Samma and Asiz Maan, left the Island last week.

IMMIGRATION IMM