The Supreme Court heard how 26 packages of plant material were discovered hidden in a suitcase, as the trial of a woman accused of smuggling began.

Claudisha Charley, 29, was charged in April with conspiring with Kevin Rousseau and others to import and supply a quantity of cannabis worth almost $1 million into the island.

As the trial opened yesterday, Daniel Kitson-Walters, for the Crown, told the court that Mr Rousseau, 49, from Toronto, Canada, had plead guilty to offences connected to the incident.

The court heard that a total of 26 heat-sealed packages of plant material were discovered in a suitcase tagged with Ms Charley’s name in an incident on April 3.

Ryan Marshall, a customs officer, said he spoke with the defendant at the airport at about 3.35pm that day after a flight had arrived from Toronto.

He said: “I recall a lady approaching me. I believe she was wearing a pink top at the time. I asked her if she’s been to Bermuda before and she said this was her second time here.”

Mr Marshall said the woman carried a small “roll-on” suitcase and said that she came to the island to celebrate her birthday.

When all passengers exited the area, the witness said he entered the customs secondary inspection area, where he met an airline agent with lost luggage from the flight from Toronto.

Mr Marshall said he took the items to be X-rayed and noticed that one bag, bearing the name “Claudis Charley”, was suspicious based on the results of the scan.

Trainee customs officer Siairah Minors said she was on duty at the airport on April 3 when she met Rousseau in a secondary customs inspection area.

She said after his travel documents were requested, Rousseau related that he was visiting the island and that he planned to stay at an hotel in St George’s for 40 nights.

However, he had no document to confirm his stay and he later placed a call to someone in the officer’s presence regarding his accommodation.

She said he showed her a screenshot of a WhatsApp chat that read: “Tell them you are staying at an Airbnb.”

Ms Minors said Rousseau presented a black suitcase with dark trimmings for inspection, but while she prepared to examine the item, he pointed out that it did not belong to him since his had no lock.

She said a tag on the suitcase bore the name “Claudis Charley” and the suitcase was taken out of the area.

Another suitcase, identical to the first, was then brought into the inspection area and Rousseau identified it as his.

Ms Minors said the man told her that he was unemployed, faced “difficult times” and was a “recovering drug addict”, adding that he had $10 on his credit card and that he expected to be paid a cheque and other monies the week after he arrived.

Although he looked calm, the witness said Mr Rousseau was drifting in and out of sleep.

The jury also heard from an Airbnb operator based in St David’s who said that in December 2024 he had a guest, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, who stayed for two days.

The witness said that in January the guest, Man X, sent him a message on WhatsApp asking for a room for his stepdaughter, who he said was visiting the island.

He agreed, but while he understood the room to be for one person, he was later met by Ms Charley, whom he understood to be Man X’s stepdaughter, and another woman.

The witness said he called Man X and asked the women about payment for the additional guest, but was told the women did not have any money.

While he said the booking was for two nights, the women only stayed for one night before leaving.

The witness said that in the following months, Man X booked a stay for someone he identified as his son, and another stay for himself, but he did not turn up.

He said Man X reached out again in April about a room for his stepdaughter and for his “buddy” and agreed that the witness would also be paid $100 for the previously missed booking.

The witness said Ms Charley arrived late on April 3, but was told the other guest had run into problems at the airport.

He said that when Ms Charley did not check out on April 5, he contacted Man X, who said that she would be staying on the island longer and he would send someone to pick up her belongings.

The witness said that no such person came, but police later visited the property and seized Ms Charley’s belongings.

He said that while people could book the property through Airbnb, he would allow them to pay to extend their stay in cash to avoid the service’s fees.

Pc Paul Watson told the court that he was on duty at the airport in the afternoon on April 4 when he and another officer received information about a Claudisha Charley who may be attempting to leave the island.

He said that they later approached a woman near the Whistling Frog Rum Bar, in the airport’s lobby, whom they identified as Ms Charley.

Mr Watson said the other officer asked her a series of questions, including if she was Claudisha Charley, which she denied.

She was subsequently arrested on suspicion of the importation of controlled drugs and Mr Watson seized her phone.

He told the court that he asked Ms Charley for the pin code for the device, which she refused to provide.

Under cross-examination, Mr Watson said Ms Charley may have been using a phone when they approached her, but said that she was not using it when she was asked about her identity.

The trial before Puisne Judge Alan Richards continues.

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