prison for three and a half years for conspiring to import close to $100,000 worth of marijuana.

Winston Albouy, 46, of Tribe Road Number Five, pleaded guilty to conspiring to import four and a quarter pounds of marijuana.

The drugs, which had a street value of $96,600, were hidden inside a package of biscuits in Miami and destined for Bermuda.

Crown counsel Mr. Khamisi Tokunbo told the court Bermuda Police were notified by Miami Customs agents on January 10, 1994, about the package and it was intercepted en route.

The package, addressed to a Somerset company, was being sent through DHL couriers, Mr. Tokunbo said.

He also said Police left Bermuda on January 11 for Miami where they replaced the package with a dummy package which was sent to Bermuda.

And the next day Police in Bermuda watched Albouy pick up the package.

Mr. Tokunbo said Albouy took Police on a high-speed chase and was later arrested near Parsons Road in Pembroke.

After his arrest Albouy took Police to the spot where he had hidden the package and he also admitted to knowing what was in the package.

Police also recovered two pieces of paper with telephone numbers of two others involved in the conspiracy, Mr. Tokunbo added.

Albouy assisted Police further by allowing them to conduct a surveillance at his home in Warwick where they made two other arrests in connection with the incident.

Albouy's lawyer Mr. Tyrone Chin begged Mr. Justice Ward to take his client's cooperation with Police into consideration.

Mr. Chin stressed that without Albouy's assistance, the two arrests would not have been possible.

When asked if he had anything to say on his own behalf, Albouy told the judge: "I regret the part that I played in this incident and I am asking you to be as merciful and lenient as possible.'' "I am giving you the maximum discount allowed for the offence,'' Mr. Justice Ward replied. "Three years, six months imprisonment.''