Nightclub owner Tracy Tucker, arrested in the Dutch Antilles for allegedly possessing a stash of cocaine three weeks ago, is likely to be tried next month.

Yesterday The Royal Gazette revealed that Mr. Tucker, who runs the Odyssey nightclub on Front Street, was arrested with six other men on the island of St. Maarten on June 30.

And the island's public prosecutor says that, even though no official charges have been brought, the men are likely to stand trial some time in the second half of August.

Mr. William Wijga explained how Police raided a hotel in Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch-run half of the island, after receiving a tip-off. Drugs squad officers later discovered a stash of cocaine in the room that the men had been in.

"There has been the arrest of a number of people allegedly involved in the trafficking of cocaine to and from St. Maarten,'' Mr. Wijga said.

"Mr. Tucker was in a hotel in Phillipsburg and we received information that there were drugs in the hotel and so the Police carried out a search.'' Mr. Wijga said a number of pounds of cocaine were allegedly found -- but he could not be more precise.

"Mr. Tucker is currently in custody, along with the six other men. No charges have been brought yet -- we have a different legal system here -- but we expect the case to go to trial in the second half of August.'' In 1993 Mr. Tucker was fined $2,000 and given five years probation by a New York judge after pleading guilty to the possession of smuggled cannabis.