victim of a set up.

Sinclair Eugene Samuels Jr. denies any knowledge of the drug found in his bag at the Civil Air Terminal in July.

But his friend, Quinton Craig King, who faces the same charges, says Samuels knew he was bringing in the cannabis from New York.

Both men, from Devonshire, have been telling different stories in Supreme Court, in front of Puisne Judge the Hon. Mr. Justice Ward.

In a Police statement King said that knew that his friend was bringing the half pound bag into the country, but said he personally wanted nothing to do with the importation.

But Samuels said he has no idea how the drug got into his bag, although he says King obtained some marijuana for their personal use in New York.

Samuels was arrested the airport and charged with importation, possession and handling with intent to supply. King faces charges of handling and importation with intent to supply. Both men deny the charges.

Yesterday, Samuels, of Cedar Park, said that he had met King eight years ago after his motorcycle had been stolen. He said: "I was told that Quinton was responsible and when I approached him he told me that it was not him. We became friends and see each other often.'' They had gone to New York to pick up computer equipment for King's boss Bertram Fraser and were staying at the homes of an uncle and aunt of Samuels in New Jersey.

On their third day in New York, Samuels said they had gone to New York City so that King could buy a present for his girlfriend. He had left Samuels at the bus station for 20 minutes.

Samuels said: "I just browsed around. When you are in New York there are plenty things to see. Quinton came back and told me he had something nice for his girlfriend and something nice for us.

"He told me he had picked up a few spliffs of marijuana for us. We smoked them later that evening at my aunt's.'' King's version of these events is different. He said that they had made contact with a man who was going to sell them marijuana for their own use, but Samuels had arranged to speak to him.

In a statement to Police King said that they met three men at the bus station and were taken to an apartment. There a man asked them to take a pound of cannabis to a friend of his in Bermuda.

King said: "The guy told us to think about it while we were smoking a sample.

I told Sinclair that I would not do it.

"I told Sinclair that I am carrying nothing and you are not putting anything in the computer.

"Sinclair said that he would take a half through. The man gave us the half pound and put a little extra in for us to smoke later that night.'' Samuels denied this but he admitted that an original statement in which he denied using drugs in New York was not correct. He said that his lawyer, at the time, Mr. Philip Perinchief, had advised him not to mention the drugs.

While they were packing King claims that his friend asked him for some clothes to put in his bag to make it look fuller in case it was searched at Customs.

King gave him a straw hat, a jacket, a pair of trousers and a pair of jeans which were found wrapped around the cannabis.

He said: "While we were at Baltimore Airport he asked me whether he should throw it in the trash. I told him to do what he wanted. On the plane I told him if he was going to take it all the way back he'd better relax. I ate all my breakfast and most of his.'' Samuels said this was incorrect. He pointed out that he had left King alone with his bag in Baltimore Airport when he was phoning his mother.

He was arrested in Bermuda after his bag was searched by Customs Officer, Mr.

Stephen Perinchief. Samuels claims he told Mr. Perinchief that he did not know how the cannabis came to be in his bag.

While he was being taken to the airport's search office he bolted through the airport doors and into the taxi rank where he was eventually caught.

He said: "I just panicked. It was not through guilt. I was thinking about the consequences of what was happening to me. I honestly cannot remember much about it.''