visitor who claimed Customs officers singled him out for interrogation "solely because of his race''.

The man said two Customs officers searched his luggage, read his diary and grilled him for nearly two hours because he fit a "certain profile''.

"Every detail of my personal life was revealed to them, including whether my friend and I have any sexual relations,'' said Nigerian Mr. E. Kwasi Yirenkyi, the president of the Washington, DC, firm Gold Coast Associates.

At the end of the interrogation, he said Customs officer Mr. Lynn Smith apologised to him and explained the officers had thought he was carrying drugs.

The businessman complained of the "terrible incident'' in a letter to the Editor of The Royal Gazette , which he said he copied to the Department of Tourism, Collector of Customs and Washington Post.

"Aside from being unprofessional, it was very humiliating and embarrassing -- personal information such as my sex life is inappropriate and goes way beyond any proper business ethics,'' he charged in the letter. "I was properly dressed and carried all the proper documents and yet I was detained.'' But acting Collector of Customs Mrs. Norma Smith said yesterday she doubted the Customs officers had asked Mr. Yirenkyi about his sex life.

"We don't normally ask questions relating to one's sex life -- it's irrelevant,'' she said.

Mrs. Smith said a letter of apology had been sent to Mr. Yirenkyi, although it does not say why he was singled out for interrogation. However, Mrs. Smith assured it was not because of his colour.

She said the letter of apology informed him a "full inquiry'' into the incident had been conducted and Collector of Customs Mr. Gerry Ardis (who is off the Island) is "satisfied the officers were acting fully within their legal authority''.

She said the letter also stated although officers make every effort to carry out their duties with as much sensitivity as possible, "they will on occasion upset a very small number of our valuable visitors'' in their effort to preserve the relatively drug and crime free quality of life in Bermuda visitors enjoy.

Tourism director Mr. Gary Phillips said it always concerned the Department when a visitor was unsatisfied with any part of their vacation.