Two men charged with conspiring to import almost $1 million worth of heroin to Bermuda were nabbed following an international investigation, according to prosecutors.Lorenzo Lottimore, 33, and Craig Hatherley, 27, are accused of conspiring together with David Carroll and other persons not before the court to bring the drugs in between an unknown date and June 2 2011. They both deny the charge.Opening their trial yesterday, prosecutor Garrett Byrne said the Crown will show jurors a “patchwork quilt of circumstantial evidence,” including multiple audio recordings of the defendants detailing the drug plot.He told the jury the investigation dates back to October, 2010, when Brian Wade, a baggage handler at Philadelphia International Airport was caught placing a package of cannabis in a plane to Bermuda.After being arrested, Mr Wade agreed to work with the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to bring down his co-conspirators, and to have his phone conversations recorded.Mr Byrne said on November 18, 2010, Mr Lottimore made contact with Mr Wade about a plan to bring narcotics to Bermuda.Mr Byrne said that the group had difficulties finding and arranging the purchase of the drugs, but on April 18, 2011 Hatherley flew to New York to get the drugs to Mr Wade.Mr Byrne told the court that Mr Hatherley contacted Mr Wade and agreed to meet with one of Mr Wade’s associates to exchange the drugs.However instead of a friend, Mr Byrne said Mr Hatherley was greeted by an undercover officer in a car rigged with surveillance equipment.Inside the car, the prosecution claim, Mr Wade handed the undercover officer a package containing 397.6g of heroin, along with $2,000 in US cash.Mr Byrne said that quantity of heroin could fetch as much as $997,000 if sold on the streets of Bermuda.Mr Wade and Mr Lottimore allegedly agreed that on May 11, 2011, the drugs would be placed in the cargo hold of a US Airways flight to Bermuda to be recovered on the Island by David Carroll or one of his associates.Investigators placed a dummy package on the flight containing wheat flour, but Mr Byrne said the defendants contacted Mr Wade to say they were unable to find it.Mr Wade, still working with the US DEA, agreed to collect the drugs from the cargo bay when the plane returned to Philadelphia and resend it on a later date, but requested an additional $1,500 for his troubles.On May 25, Mr Byrne said $1,500 was transferred via Western Union to Catherine Delaney, the false name agreed upon by the conspirators.Mr Byrne said they agreed to send the package again on June 2, and on that day DEA officials again placed a dummy package on the plane.Once the plane arrived in Bermuda, Mr Byrne said the package was collected by Loren Marshall, who is not charged in this case.Mr Marshall allegedly placed the package in a blue and white Thermos.Mr Byrne told the court that police later witnessed a meeting at Burchall’s Cove in Hamilton Parish, where Mr Marshall handed Mr Carroll the Thermos. Mr Lottimore then arrived on the scene and took the Thermos from Mr Carroll after a brief discussion.Police then moved in to arrest the two men. Mr Carroll attempted to flee on his motorcycle, but was stopped.During the process, officers allegedly saw Mr Carroll drop two packages, which were found to contain $10,000 in cash.Mr Byrne said that Mr Lottimore had four cell phones on his person when he was arrested, including the one used to contact Mr Wade.A subsequent search of his home revealed the receipt for the Western Union transaction used to pay Mr Wade.Mr Hatherley was arrested the following day.The trial is expected to continue today, with the Crown bringing forward its first witnesses.Mr Hatherley, from Paget, and Mr Lottimore, from Warwick, are represented by Larry Mussenden and Victoria Pearman respectively.