Most passengers on the Jamaican drug bust charter flight left customs in about an hour, the travel agent who sold them all the tickets said yesterday.

C-Travel employee Pam Maybury was on the charter flight and said she only had to wait on the tarmac at the irport for around ten to 15 minutes.

Thirteen people were arrested in the bust after every single one of the 173 passengers on the charter flight from Jamaica were searched for drugs. Of the thirteen, seven men were arrested (four for drugs) and six women (five for drugs). One man and two women were arrested for assaults.

?The wheels were on the tarmac and someone opened the hatch and someone from the airport came on board,? she said. ?It?s normal procedure?.

At first she thought customs were on the plane because the plane had been delayed and all staff had left the airport.

?We always try and schedule a charter around the commercial flights but this one was late and USA 3000 was already on the ground,? she said.

She said they searched everyone who came off the flight ? when normally the search is done randomly ? but it was not ?extra long?.

She said she did not know the people who were arrested, or see any fights.

?I didn?t see any fights. It happened at the end. They were the last ten people in line,? she said.

She said charter flights were popular for C-Travel customers as it is a direct flight and only took two to three hours.

??The emphasis is not to be put on the people who go down to Jamaica and bring back drugs. It is not right to put it on that because you have hard working people going home for Christmas or people just going there for a plain vacation or to be married,? she said.

?Some were resisting arrest. Tempers were flaring for having to wait, so it?s not all about drugs,? she said.

And drug busts on C-Travel charter flights had never been a big problem before, she said.

?It?s unfortunate it happened. Most of the people who use the flight are Jamaican nationals who never have a problem. Those who have the problems are a few Bermudians.?

And she will not stop the charter flights, with another one already being planned to coincide with a Test Match in June.

However, another witness claimed Police triggered an assault during the drugs bust .

Police reported that the altercation took place when one passenger became upset with the delay caused by the Police action. Passengers were reportedly delayed for up to three hours as the search took place.

The passenger in question may have pushed a Police officer, Police said at a Press conference on Thursday, and the dispute briefly escalated before coming to a stop.

Not so, a witness to the altercation told yesterday.

The flight, a Planet Airways plane chartered by C Travel, landed at about 6.45 p.m., the witness said. At 10.30 p.m. the woman arrested for assault and her brother were the last two people in the Customs line.

Passengers knew they were in for a long wait, the witness said, and while irritated, were prepared to accept it. However when the woman and her brother reached Customs, they were directed to a male Customs official ? who packed up his things and left his post as they stood waiting.

The witness said the brother was concerned, wondering why the officer would leave when they were still waiting. ?The Police officer overheard him. He said, ?Don?t worry about his post, worry about your post and shut up?.?

The sister then retaliated, the witness said, by telling the officer in no uncertain terms to mind his own business. When the officer began to approach her, her brother stepped in between them with his hand out.

The officer, the witness said, then shoved the brother. In response the sister assaulted the Police officer. ?If the Police officer would?ve minded his own business it would?ve been alright.

?Maybe that Police officer was waiting for a long time, maybe he was frustrated too, so that?s why. But the Police really need to get their officers together, because they?re too damn smart. They started it.?