baggage search by Customs officials and was unfamiliar with the procedures.

Hare Krishna missionary Eva Salla, who arrived in Bermuda on January 15 on board the Continental flight from Newark, New Jersey, was testifying during the second day of her Magistrates' Court trial.

Salla, 36, of Sydney, Australia, has denied obstructing a Customs officer during the execution of the officer's duty.

She told Magistrate Cheryl-Ann Mapp that she placed her passport and Customs tag on a counter in front of Customs officer Stacey Trott.

"I heard in a harsh tone of voice `Give me your passport','' Salla said. "I was bewildered because I had just presented my passport and red Customs tag.'' She said Ms Trott picked up the documents despite having requested that they be handed to her and searched the baggage.

Salla added that the officer removed her Bag of Bhagavad-gita -- the Hindu holy book -- and shoved it against her.

"She said `What is this?' in a very hard tone,'' she recalled. "I was startled and I said it was the Bag of Bhagavad-gita. I could see that it meant nothing to her so I mentioned that it was the Hindu's version of the Bible.'' After Ms Trott spoke with another Customs officer, Salla said it appeared as though the officer was repacking her bags.

She said she inquired as to whether Ms Trott had repacked her Holy Book and was ignored. But she managed to find the Holy Book and repacked it herself.

"I felt very offended,'' Salla told Mrs. Mapp. "Her (Ms Trott's) attitude had been very rough. I had asked her her name because I had wanted to lodge a complaint. She then said `I'm not obliged to give you my name'.'' Salla said her request to speak to a Customs supervisor was also ignored by Ms Trott.

Thinking the search was completed, Salla said she approached a supervisor and asked him for Ms Trott's name.

After he refused her request, she said, she returned to the Customs counter.

Salla said she was then approached by P.c. Paul Simons.

She told the officer that she felt harassed and did not know what was going on.

P.c. Simons then explained to her the Customs procedures, she said.

"I turned around to the counter,'' she said. "The next thing I knew I was grabbed by the left arm by P.c. Simons and dragged.

"I asked him to let go as he was hurting my arm, but he grabbed me harder.'' During cross examination by Police prosecutor Sgt. Anthony Mouchette, Salla said she had never had her belongings searched by Customs officers in any country.

And she maintained that she walked away from Ms Trott, in search of help, after her bag was repacked.

"I thought she was finished with me because my luggage was repacked,'' Salla explained.

She added: "She (Ms Trott) was not treating me like a human as she did not say please or thank you at any point.'' Mrs. Mapp will hand down her judgment tomorrow.