worth of cannabis in word processors.

Curtis Ambrose Simmons, 29, of Spicewood Drive, Warwick was charged in Supreme Court with importing $291,000 worth of cannabis on February 15, last year, possessing it with intent to supply, and handling it with intent to supply.

Crown Counsel Mr. Diarmuid Doorly told the four-man, eight-woman jury the cannabis was found in two Smith Corona personal word processors that arrived at the airport from a New York company called Montgomery Grant Computers for an Ann Burgess of Busycomm Ltd. on Addendum Lane, Pembroke.

Police replaced two of the three packages of cannabis with grass and paper before Simmons collected them along with other Federal Express packages.

Mr. Doorly said Police followed Simmons back to Federal Express' Hamilton office on Par-La-Ville Road where he and another courier, Trent Rowley, were seen unloading the vans.

Although it was a Saturday, Simmons and Rowley sorted packages and prepared them for delivery the following Monday, the court heard.

Simmons remained at the office after the others left, Mr. Doorley said.

At 5.45 p.m. he was seen loading the boxes with the word processors into a van and he drove away shortly afterward.

Police followed Simmons who made several deliveries that day.

He was eventually stopped on Parsons Road and arrested.

But the boxes were missing.

Mr. Doorly said Simmons told Police a woman calling herself Maxine Burgess called Federal Express to have the word processors delivered to a white house with blue blinds on Scott's Hill, Somerset.

The woman's number was unlisted, he added.

Simmons also told Police he believed the rear door of his van was opened during a stop and the boxes were removed.

He said he was in the Parsons Road area because he intended to stop at his mother's house, but later realised she was visiting a relative in the hospital.

But Mr. Doorly said the court will hear evidence about a recorded conversation between Simmons and his girlfriend and Bermuda Telephone Company printouts will show four calls were made between 5 and 6 p.m. that day to and from Federal Express office.

He also called six witnesses yesterday, including four Customs officers, Rowley and Busycomm Ltd.'s comptroller Sarai Bennett.

Bennett, who was operations manager last February, said the company had never done business with Montgomery Grant.

And she said Busycomm did not sell or deal in Smith Corona products last year.

And under cross examination from one of Simmons' lawyers, Mr. John Perry QC, Bennett agreed if a delivery was made, it would be easy to obtain the name of the courier.

Former part-time Customs officer Darlene Harnett also admitted that it was only by accident that Simmons -- who was at the Airport to drop off items in need of repair abroad, had to take Federal Express packages back to Hamilton.

She said she asked Simmons to do so because Rowley's van was loaded.

And Rowley, who was at the Airport to unload containers of Federal Express packages and sort them, agreed he would have carried all the packages back to the Hamilton office if his van was not full.

He added it was not unusual for couriers to work overtime on Saturdays and deliver packages to hotels and private homes.

Puisne Judge the Hon. Mrs. Justice Wade is presiding over the case, which resumes today.