A disgraced former customs officer has been sentenced to serve 14 years behind bars for a plot to smuggle cannabis into Bermuda.

Scott Brown, 60, pleaded guilty in March to charges of conspiring to import and supply 155.23 kilograms of cannabis and concealing the proceeds of criminal activity.

Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe noted that Brown had served as a customs officer for 35 years before his arrest and would now spend the sunset of his life behind bars for his actions.

He said: “It’s really shameful that Brown has, after a lifetime of being law-abiding, after being a customs officer for 35 years, he decided or felt pressured or succumbed to pressure of committing this offence.

“At 60 years old, he will be 74 when he is released. He will likely spend the tail end of his life in custody. That’s unfortunate for him, but it’s circumstances that he brought upon himself.”

Daniel Kitson-Walters, for the Crown, said that authorities had received information about a potential drug shipment arriving in Bermuda on April 19, 2023.

At about 6.17pm that day, a private plane landed in Bermuda with four Canadian passengers and two crew members.

Brown, a senior customs officer, attended the private jet facility in St David’s, which was said to be unusual for a private jet arrival.

When questioned about his presence, he said that he needed to make sure the aircraft was properly searched after the passengers disembarked and indicated that there could be “secret shoppers” from the Bermuda Tourism Authority on board evaluating their experience.

The passengers left the plane with eight large suitcases, but none were searched, with Brown stating that he felt a few of the suitcases and that they were “relatively light”.

The passengers then got into a minivan to depart the terminal, and Brown got into his car and drove off shortly after, without the aircraft being searched.

Police stopped the minivan near the St David’s roundabout and spoke with the passengers, who indicated that they were on the island for a two-day visit.

The officers opened one of the suitcases at random and found heat-sealed packages of suspected cannabis inside.

Police also stopped Brown on Kindley Field Road over his manner of driving, and he was arrested after officers received word about the discovery of the drugs.

During the subsequent investigation into the importation, officers discovered phone links between Brown and one of the passengers.

Meanwhile, a forensic examination of Brown’s financial records revealed almost $30,000 of unexplained income.

While Brown initially told investigators that he had been working part-time as a taxi operator, it was found that he did not have a taxi licence at that time.

Mr Kitson-Walters said an analysis of the seized drugs found that the quantity could be sold on the streets of Bermuda for between $3.42 million and $15.5 million.

Charles Richardson, for Brown, said that the defendant had no previous convictions and had admitted his involvement during his interview with police at an early stage.

Brown told the court he was “deeply disappointed” in himself, apologising for his actions and for any reputational harm he had caused other customs officers.

He added: “This is really hard for me and my family to go through. We lost a lot of friends and I lost a lot of trust from my colleagues. I wish I could have gone back and never done it.”

Asked why he had done it, he said: “This was not an ongoing thing, but I was pressured.”

Mr Justice Wolffe said that the charges required an immediate custodial sentence, noting the devastating impact that drugs have on the community.

He added: “Had these drugs not been intercepted, it would have caused untold damage to our young ones, potentially, whose minds are still developing.

“The amount of the drugs is substantial. The lowest valuation is in the millions.”

Mr Justice Wolffe sentenced Brown to 14 years behind bars for both conspiring to import the drugs and conspiring to supply them, while he delivered a one-year sentence for concealing the proceeds of criminal actions.

He ordered all three sentences to run concurrently, with time already served taken into account, and ordered a report under the Proceeds of Crime Act to determine sums to be potentially confiscated.

• 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