Monday had to cough up $8,500 for trying to smuggle cash out of the country.

Rahjon Cox, 26, of New Jersey, who arrived with $200 in his pocket for a brief vacation, admitted trying to take $8,000 out of the Island illegally, He was searched by US Customs officers at the Airport on February 26 as he was leaving.

They found bundles of money inside his jacket and pants.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Donald Grant told Magistrates' Court that Cox claimed a local man gave him the money to buy video tapes in the US.

Of the $8,000, he said, $3,000 was a gift for the man's sister who was also a college student.

Cox claimed he had no knowledge of Bermuda's foreign currency laws and he apologised to Magistrate the Wor. Cheryl Ann Mapp.

"Like in your country, ignorance of the laws in Bermuda does not make a crime acceptable,'' Mrs. Mapp said before fining Cox $500 and ordering a forfeiture of the $8,000.