A Customs officer has described how one of three men facing charges in relation to an alleged drugs and guns plot acted nervously and evasively when he was arrested.

Kershun Dublin and Justin Calderon, both 25, and Arthur Dill, 45, are accused of conspiring to possess four handguns and ammunition that were found in an orange toolbox which arrived at the airport via courier flight last April 28.

They are further accused of conspiring to import $25,000 worth of cannabis, which was found in the same package.

The men, who are all from Pembroke, deny the charges.

According to prosecutor Robert Welling, each of the three men became involved in the possession of the package after it was picked up from DHL on May 8 last year. Mr. Welling said the box was dropped by car in Crane Lane, Pembroke, and ended up being "spirited away" by a number of men including the defendants.

Giving evidence yesterday, Customs officer Justin Kendall said he seized a cardboard box and some wrappings relating to the storage box at the centre of the investigation. He found the packaging materials at the foot of a hedgerow at the junction of Footpath Lane and Mission Lane last May 8.

Around 15 minutes later, he said, he was on Crane Lane when he saw Justin Calderon walking towards him. He stopped him and searched his pockets, and Calderon was then questioned by Police Sergeant Brian Mello.

Mr. Kendall said that when Calderon was questioned by the Sergeant, he stated that he'd been sitting in his yard with his cousin when he saw three men throw an orange toolbox over the fence.

He recalled that when Sgt Mello asked who his cousin was, Calderon replied "Smalls" and then stopped himself.

The trial has previously heard that his co-accused Kershun Dublin, of North Shore Road, is known by the nickname Smalls.

Mr. Kendall said the Police officer had not done anything to make Calderon stop speaking. Asked by the prosecutor about Calderon's demeanour, he replied: "He was getting nervous. He seemed to be getting evasive. He didn't want to be there.

"He was just moving back and forth, not willing to answer any questions. Officer Mello asked him again about his cousin, to which he then stated that he wasn't his cousin, just a guy he knows from down the road."

He explained that Calderon was then placed under arrest. The court has already heard that the toolbox was found during a Police search on that date, in a storage building next to Calderon's home in Mission Lane, covered with a white sheet.

The case continues.