learned on Wednesday.

And Senate Finance spokesman Sen. Wendell Hollis , who made the disclosure, said the majority of the drugs were confiscated at the Airport.

But Sen. Hollis said although the number of seizures from the Airport was higher than from any other port of entry, the street value of the drugs found there was only about 30 percent of the $8 million.

He was responding to questions from the Opposition.

Sen. Trevor Woolridge (PLP) had asked what steps were being taken by Customs and Police to detect and curtail illicit drugs via cargo ships, cruise ships, and visiting yachts.

In the case of cargo vessels, Sen. Hollis said, each vessel is searched by a Customs boarding officer upon its arrival and departure.

"Depending on intelligence information and risk assessment analysis, extended surveillance operations are carried out on suspect vessels, he added.

And Sen. Hollis said electronically transmitted cargo records are scrutinised by Customs officers between the time the vessels leave the US and arrive in Bermuda.

The procedures followed by Customs for cruise ships are "equally vigorous'', he said.

"Each cruise ship is visited by a Customs boarding team on arrival in Bermuda, crew and passenger list having been checked prior to the vessel's arrival,'' Sen. Hollis said.

"Intelligence information is collected from local and international sources on potential drug smugglers and Customs officers liaise with the vessel's security personnel regarding potential traffickers.'' He said at regular intervals, Customs teams search passenger and crew accommodations as well as the ship's engine room and public spaces.

"A 24-hour gangway watch is maintained on all cruise vessels by Customs officers when vessels are either at anchor or at dockside,'' he added.

All arriving private yachts, with the exception of those involved in approved ocean yacht races, are required to be cleared by Customs at the Marine Police' HM Customs Yacht Reporting Centre at Ordinance Island, Sen. Hollis also said.

"Customs and the Marine Police will periodically intercept and search yachts at sea prior to their arrival in port,'' he added.

Sen. Hollis said there was no way of knowing what percentage of illicit drugs coming into Bermuda was intercepted at the airport because this would necessitate knowing the total quantity of drugs entering the Island.

However, he said, we do know that of the 130 drug seizures made by Customs in 1992, 87 or 66.9 percent were made at the airport.

Sen. Woolridge asked why Government had cancelled the pre-Customs clearance on cruise ships arriving in Bermuda.

He noted that the practice was of no cost to Government.

But Sen. Hollis said an assessment of the present situation showed that people bringing in drugs on cruise ships were not passengers.

"Therefore, it was thought unnecessary to have pre-clearance,'' he said, adding that most passengers did not come on land with large pieces of luggage.

Sen. Woolridge further asked if Government was prepared to put plain-clothes Customs officers on ships for closer surveillance.

But Sen. Hollis said Government was not prepared to comment on its undercover surveillance procedures.

Sen. Scott asked Sen. Hollis to reveal the number of drug seizures that took place by the pre-clearance method before it was discontinued.

And Sen. Ira Philip asked for the street value of drugs found in containers arriving by ships.

Sen. Hollis said he did not have any of the above information, but was willing to provide it at the next session.