The Supreme Court heard how 25 packages containing cannabis and cannabis products were discovered in a man’s suitcase last year.

Cadell Smith, 26, from New York, has denied allegations that he smuggled cannabis into the island in November 2024 and that he possessed cannabis with intent to supply on that same date.

As his trial began yesterday, the jury was told more than 2.2 kilograms of cannabis was found in heat-sealed packages within his two suitcases, along with cannabis resin and vapes containing cannabis extracts.

Karim Nelson, for the Crown, said that Mr Smith flew to the island on an American Airlines flight from Miami on November 7, 2024 with a carry-on bag and two checked pieces of luggage.

After landing and passing through immigration, Mr Nelson said Mr Smith was selected for a search by customs officers and told officials that the bags were his, that he had packed them himself and that he was aware of their contents.

“The customs officer on duty proceeded to search the bags and in those two suitcases they found a number of vacuum-sealed packages containing what the evidence will tell you was controlled drugs,” he said.

Jessica Andrade, a trainee customs officer, said that on the evening of November 7 she was on duty at the LF Wade International Airport when she noticed Mr Smith in the baggage area.

“He took particular notice to me and some other officers standing and observing and was constantly looking at me, looking at his phone,” Ms Andrade said.

She said that she told another customs officer and Mr Smith was sent to have a secondary inspection with her.

Ms Andrade said that while she asked Mr Smith several questions, his answers were “vague” and he appeared to be nervous.

She said that Mr Smith told her that he had packed clothing as gifts and filled out a customs declaration valuing the gifts at $500.

Ms Andrade said an initial search of his carry-on revealed nothing of interest, but when he lifted the first of the two suitcases onto the desk for examination she noticed the smell of cannabis.

She said that the suitcase was opened and as soon as she moved a pair of jeans she noticed “immediately obvious” packages which she suspected contained cannabis.

Ms Andrade said she cautioned Mr Smith, who gave no explanation about the presence of the packages.

She said the second of the two suitcases had a combination lock on it, which Mr Smith attempted to open without success before she cut the lock and discovered more packages inside.

The court heard that one of the suitcases was found to contain 13 sealed packages, while the second held another 12.

Under cross-examination by Susan Mulligan, counsel for Mr Smith, Ms Andrade accepted that some travellers acted nervously during searches in which nothing liable for seizure was found.

Detective Constable Warren Bundy said that an analyst’s report showed that the packages found in the suitcases contained 22,059 grams of cannabis, 25.58g of cannabis resin and vapes containing four millilitres of fluid.

He said that the cannabis could fetch between $312,000 and $2 million on the streets of Bermuda depending on how it was sold, while the resin and vapes could sell for $18,000 and $800 respectively.

Based on the quantities, Mr Bundy said it was his opinion the drugs were intended to be sold for financial gain.

Under cross-examination, he said that cannabis prices varied based on the time of year and the strength of the drugs, with more potent strains fetching a higher price.

He told the court that his estimates were based on both information from informants and evidence found on seized phones from roughly the time of the seizure.

Mr Bundy also said that there were a wide range of elaborate strategies adopted by drug smugglers to bring narcotics into the island.

He said that it was unusual for packages to be left “in the open” in suitcases, particularly in cases where the smuggler has a “connection”.

“There are different ways,” Mr Bundy said. “It could be the person who brought the luggage has someone who takes it out. They might have a contact to circumnavigate around customs. In some cases, it gets pulled.”

The trial continues.

• It is The Royal Gazette’s policy not to allow comments on stories regarding court cases. As we are legally liable for any libellous or defamatory comments made on our website, this move is for our protection as well as that of our readers