A family holiday ended in fines of $1,000 each for two brothers after they admitted bringing drugs into Bermuda.

Richard Ducko, 46, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court yesterday to importing methamphetamine to the island.

His brother, Zachary, 40, pleaded guilty to importing Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol.

Zachary Ducko also faced a count of being in possession of a bullet without a licence, but the Crown offered no evidence on that matter and did not proceed with the charge.

The court heard the pair, from Pennsylvania, were on the Norwegian Jewel cruise ship with their mother and other family members.

Zachary Ducko was examined by customs officers when the ship docked in King’s Wharf, Sandys, on May 2.

He told officers he had nothing to declare and produced a white and blue vaping device, as he emptied his pockets.

When questioned, Ducko said the device contained THC and later added that he had vape cartridges in his cabin. He shared the room with his brother and other family members.

Customs officers searched Zachary Ducko’s bag and found three vape cartridges and an unspent bullet, the court heard.

He told officers all three cartridges were his and that they all contained THC.

With the help of cruise staff, customs officers later opened the cabin safe and found a blue bag containing a white crystal-like substance.

The items were confiscated and both brothers were taken into custody.

A government analyst later confirmed that all three cartridges contained more than 1 per cent THC and that the white substance was 0.92 grams of methamphetamine.

When arrested, Zachary Ducko said: “It is my grandfather’s bag; he was a hunter and he died. I didn’t know there was a bullet in there.”

Richard Ducko told the court the two were “really sorry” and did not mean to cause any trouble.

When asked about their stay, he added: “It was great until this. We’d love to come back again, but we’ll be sure to check our bags next time.”

Magistrate Craig Attridge fined the pair $1,000 each and ordered them to pay immediately.

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