A US Special Agent described how a rogue baggage handler sparked a major security alert at Philadelphia Airport by stashing cannabis on a Bermuda-bound plane.The handler, Brian Wade, was detained by the US authorities and ended up helping them with an undercover operation.US agents collaborated with Bermuda Police who code-named the investigation Operation Sky High — and eventually nabbed two local men, Lorenzo Lottimore and Craig Hatherley.The pair are now on trial at Supreme Court accused of a heroin-smuggling plot.Testifying yesterday, Special Agent William Farley of Homeland Security explained that on October 7 2010, he was working at Philadelphia Airport.He was notified by Philadelphia Police that a couple of the baggage handlers for the flight to Bermuda that day saw an unidentified person loading and offloading bags for the flight.“When they challenged him, he disappeared and took off and left the area and obviously that created some concerns with having an unidentified person on a plane, especially when they don't identify themselves,” explained Mr Farley.Officers swooped on the plane including members of Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Administration [DEA] and the FBI.“Because of the gravity of the situation they took all the passengers off. They were preparing for the worst,” said Mr Farley. “They cordoned off the plane and did a search by Customs and Border Protection.”Mr Farley said search dogs were sent on to the plane and found a package of cannabis. Officers identified the unknown baggage handler as Mr Wade, who they arrested.During his opening speech in the case on Wednesday, prosecutor Garrett Byrne said Mr Wade agreed to help the US authorities track down his co-conspirators.That eventually led them to Mr Lottimore, 33, from Warwick, and Mr Hatherley, 27, from Paget, as they allegedly plotted to import almost $1 million worth of heroin to Bermuda.Mr Byrne told the jury the pair were caught on multiple taped telephone conversations arranging the plot in late 2010, which special agents listened in on.He explained that on April 18, 2011 Mr Hatherley flew to New York to hand the drugs to one of Mr Wade's associates.Mr Farley told the jury yesterday that during the course of the plot, an individual in Bermuda sent Mr Wade payment for his work. This actually went to a special agent who picked it up from the Western Union.Mr Farley and other special agents also listened in on dozens of telephone calls made by Mr Wade to “targets of the investigation” on Bermuda telephone numbers.Mr Farley explained that a special agent posed as Mr Wade's “buddy” in Manhattan, New York, when Mr Hatherley allegedly arrived there to deliver the heroin on April 22, 2011.He told the jury the undercover agent was in a car rigged with a video and audio recording and transmitting device. Mr Farley was listening in from another car a few vehicles behind, keeping an eye on the first car.“I observed Mr Hatherley approach the undercover vehicle,” explained Mr Farley. “There was so much traffic, I didn't see him get in. Then I could hear a conversation taking place in the car through the transmitter that I was able to pick up in my car.”He said after Mr Hatherley got out of the car again, two bundles of US currency totalling $2,000 had been left in the vehicle and two tightly wrapped packages of heroin.In his opening speech, Mr Byrne said a total of 397.6g of heroin was handed over to the “associate” that day by Mr Hatherley — worth almost $1 million on the streets of Bermuda.According to the prosecutor, Mr Wade and Mr Lottimore agreed to send the heroin to Bermuda in the cargo of a US Airways flight in May 2011, to be recovered by a man named David Carroll or one of his associates.The investigators replaced the drugs with a dummy package containing flour. The prosecutor said the Bermuda conspirators could not find the package when it was first sent to the Island.However, when Mr Wade resent it the following month, it was allegedly collected by a man named Loren Marshall after the plane arrived in Bermuda on June 1, and handed over to Mr Carroll during a meeting at Burchall's Cove in Hamilton, which Lorenzo Lottimore also attended.Police watched the meeting and arrested Mr Lottimore and Mr Carroll. According to the prosecutor, Mr Carroll tried to flee before he was arrested, dropping two packages containing $10,000 in cash as he did so.Mr Lottimore — who also tried to flee — had four cell phones with him, including the one allegedly used to make arrangements with Mr Wade. When his home was searched, police found the receipt for the Western Union payment to Mr Wade.Mr Hatherley was arrested the following day.Mr Hatherley and Mr Lottimore are the only people on trial in the case.They deny conspiring with David Carroll and others not before the court to bring heroin to Bermuda and the case continues.