seizing more than $8.3 million of illegal substances during the first four months alone.

The amount of drugs discovered so far this year already exceeds the $7 million total recovered last year.

More than $5 million of this year's haul is made up of heroin, but cocaine, crack, cannabis and ecstasy have also been confiscated -- mostly as it entered the Island at Bermuda International Airport.

One of the seizures was $2.3 million worth of heroin and another was heroin with a street value of $2.2 million.

Police narcotics department head Det. Ch. Insp. Larry Smith said the major drug finds during the first few weeks of the year indicated Bermuda had a huge problem with drug abuse.

He said: "We must have a problem because that's a huge amount of drugs coming into the Island that has been seized.

"If we try to analyse the quantities and the purities of some of the drugs, then we obviously have a big problem.

"We also have to take into consideration that we can safely say that we could have missed that same amount.

"Some of the drugs coming in are of very high purity, which is a major concern. And if you take into account that Bermuda is a user Country, as opposed to a transit Country such as many parts of the Caribbean where drugs are then taken on to Europe or the US, then you can see that the problem is big.'' And he said despite the major seizures, drugs were still obviously getting through as they were still available on the streets.

Det. Ch. Insp. Smith said: "The street enforcement team is still very very busy, so it is evident that there are still drugs on the street.

"I don't think we will ever know how many drugs come into Bermuda -- it is impossible to say -- so we cannot talk about the percentages that are seized.

"However, what I can say is that we are very motivated and we are not going to rest on our laurels.

"Yes, we have had some major seizures so far, particularly in March, but we will simply continue as we have done.'' And Det. Ch. Insp. Smith said he was aware that heroin was on the increase in Bermuda but the recent busts have given him cause for concern as it was high in purity and very addictive.

"All drugs are devastating to the community, but we are obviously very concerned about the increase in heroin use,'' he said.

Last year, Police and Customs seized more than $7 million worth of drugs, the majority of it cannabis.

Crack cocaine and cocaine were also recovered in sizable quantities, with heroin being further down the list.

But there has been some belief in Bermuda that the demand and use of heroin had massively shot up and the recent busts are testament to it.

The detective said neither the narcotics department or Customs did anything different, but they worked very closely together and were extra vigilant, which led to the major swoops.

And he said with the help of intelligence and information from sources, the officers were equipped and ready to pounce.

All of the interdiction seizures have been made at the airport so far this year, however, from tomorrow the cruise ship season kicks in properly, which normally means drugs will also arrive at the ports.

Both Customs and Police said they were prepared for the busy season ahead and warned anyone thinking of bringing drugs into the Country to consider the consequences.

Assistant Collector of Customs Larry Conn said all Customs officers were highly motivated after the good start to the year, but added drug interdiction was very unpredictable and may slow down for the remainder of the year.

He said it was impossible to predict.

He said: "Although there has been an active working relationship between Police and Customs for some time, I think the development of the Memorandum of Understanding and the signing off of it in January, and more importantly, focussing our efforts on ensuring that we were both working on the same page, has led to greater results.

"We have a better working relationship and a common goal.

"But I also think that very often one success will lead to another because it increases the awareness of all officers in the Police and Customs, and gives everyone a boost.

"We have all been very encouraged this year, and are very motivated, but we realise there are peaks and valleys in terms of importation and interdiction, so it is hard to tell what will happen with the rest of the year.'' National Drug Commission head Dr. Derrick Binns said there was no question that Bermuda had a big drug problem and he was delighted to hear so many illegal substances had already been confiscated off the streets this year.

But he said it was impossible to know whether demand had risen simply by the $8 million seizure.

He said it may have always been there in the past, but just never discovered.

However, he said it would become clearer in time, as the commission and other agencies were able to monitor whether more people were seeking help for a habit.

If drugs are in short supply, it may cause more people to look for help.

Dr. Binns said: "We were very pleased to hear about the total seizures this year to date. It represents two very major seizures.

"The increase could be down to one of two things. It could mean that their intelligence is working better, or that their surveillance is working better.

"Either way, we were thrilled with the amount seized because it means that the amount available is no longer on the streets.'' Det. Ch. Insp. Smith appealed for members of the community to assist in the crackdown on drugs.

Anyone with information should call the narcotics department on 295-0011, or CrimeStoppers on 1-800-623-8477, where information can be given anonymously.

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