One of the Chinese illegal immigrants arrested earlier this month claimed in Magistrates' Court that she was bitten by rats while in custody.

The four Chinese were arrested for travelling to Bermuda on forged Japanese passports. They were not immediately deported as, according to Crown counsel Anthony Blackman, there was an on-going international investigation into the four, and Bermuda was being used as a conduit.

The four were remanded into custody until Tuesday, when they appeared again before the court.

Hedong Sun, the eldest of the four Chinese, spoke for Zhang Fengzhen as she rolled up her sleeves to display at least three small wounds on the inside of her left arm. She also had a small wound on her lip.

"You promised to take care of us," Sun told Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves. "It's not only her lips, it's her whole body."

Mr. Greaves asked to see a wound on Zhang's neck which he said looked similar, however Sun said that was not a rat bite. "That's one of the local bites some of our people are walking around with," said Mr. Greaves.

"I have never heard of that in all of my life," he continued. "I'm not one to sing the praises of any prison, but Westgate is one of the prettiest in the world. I saw that place and I didn't believe it was a prison. Even the fellows there can't believe it's a prison."

Sun repeated his assertion that the bites were from rats, telling Mr. Greaves to ask the doctor even when the prison officer told the court she had never heard anything about the matter.

"It seems very unfair to us," he said.

Mr. Greaves, however, then reminded him of the situation facing illegal refugees in other countries, even in developed areas like Australia and Florida.

"You are being better treated here," he said.

The four were remanded into custody until February 5 as the Immigration Department is still trying to discover the final destination of where they will go once deported.

Crown counsel Charmaine Smith also told the court that the identities of the four are still not firmly established.