A Jamaican drugs mule has pledged to help authorities track down drugs masterminds - despite being jailed for 14 years for importing more than $2 million worth of heroin.

Edgar Junior Haughton, 27, admitted swallowing 66 pellets of heroin which he brought from Jamaica to Bermuda airport on July 31 this year after flying via New York.

He told Customs officers he was here to meet a person he had never met called Theresa and he was staying at the Hamilton Princess hotel.

Authorities became suspicious after his documents were not in order and questioned him further.

He denied having drugs in his bag or in his stomach and claimed he didn't smoke, drink or use drugs. Haughton even invited Police officers to check his bags.

Police did that, and more. He was then taken to hospital for an x-ray where he admitted swallowing the pellets with an estimated street value of $2,306,840.

Haughton, who earns $150 a week as taxi driver and self employed mechanic, told Police he had been paid $3,000 to import the drugs, which weighed 596.8 grammes and were 58 percent pure.

At his sentencing in Supreme Court yesterday, prosecutor Wayne Caines called for a sentence of 15 to 20 years after pointing out that Haughton had initially denied having drugs and then confessed when it was inevitable they would be found.

He said: "We are seeing right now in Bermuda a very, very severe problem with heroin. Heroin has become the drug of choice."

"We have an increase of people coming from other countries, especially Jamaica, bringing in narcotics."

Pre-empting defence lawyer Larry Scott, who has repeatedly called for foreign criminals to be repatriated at the earliest opportunity, Mr. Caines said: "That is not only outside the parameters of the law, it is misguided.

"A clear message has to be sent that Bermuda is not a place where you can make a quick buck. A strong message needs to be sent out that if you come to Bermuda with narcotics the courts will deal with you seriously."

Undeterred Mr. Scott repeated his call for the taxpayer not to bear the brunt of keeping foreign criminals locked up for longer than necessary.

He said Haughton had offered to help narcotics officers catch those behind the operation but they had been too busy to take up the offer so far. Mr. Scott called for a sentence of between 10 to 15 years.

Haughton told the court that drugs dealers in Jamaica were combing his country looking for people down on their luck to act as couriers.

He said: "I didn't take drugs to Bermuda because I wanted to be a rich man from drug smuggling. I was caught in a difficult situation."

"They got me in to the situation so fast I didn't have time to think or make the right decision.

"They pick on poor innocent Jamaicans and send them all over the world. No law enforcement officer or Government officials is trying to pull these people. They are not taking enough steps to catch them.

"I have consulted Bermuda's drug enforcement officers to give them some assistance to stop those responsible and bring them to justice. I want to stop the flow of innocent Jamaicans coming both here and to other countries."

Chief Justice Austin Ward took into account Haughton's guilty plea and his on-going co-operation with the Police.

Mr. Justice Ward said the sentences should not be reduced because of the cost to the country or the nationality of the defendant and jailed Haughton for 14 years.