The Crown opened its case yesterday in Supreme Court against a 35-year-old man who is charged with conspiracy to import over $1 million worth of cannabis.

Kingsley Owen (Critter) Young, of #5 Tribe Road, Paget, is also charged with conspiracy to possess cannabis which was intended for supply.

In his opening statements, Crown counsel Anthony Blackman said that Young, an employee at Bermuda Air Conditioning, used the company?s container to import a television, washer and dryer into Bermuda. BAC allows its employees to import personal goods via its container, the court heard.

Mr. Blackman said that nine packages containing cannabis were found inside a television and ten inside the dryer in January, 2003 by Customs officers while the goods were on the docks in Hamilton.

He said that Police left one original package in the television and one in the dryer. And they placed 17 packages not containing drugs in the dryer and television in an effort to continue their investigation.

Yesterday Government analyst Christine Quigley told the court she analysed 51 pounds of cannabis. Customs officer Gary Bremar told the court that a container arrived on December 29, 2002 aboard the

He said that the television appeared to have been tampered with and upon further inspection the packages of cannabis were found inside. He added that ?Mr. Young? was written on the three boxes.

BAC store supervisor Dennis Burchall told the court that he knew the defendant, who was a truck driver with the company at the time the drugs were found.

He said he saw Young load the washer, dryer and television into a BAC truck for delivery.

Det. Sgt. Robert Cardwell told the court that the drugs found in the appliances had a street value of $1,162,275 if sold in half gram ($25) bags. However, if the drugs were sold in pounds they would be worth $255,000.

He told the court that it was his opinion the drugs were not for personal use. Baltimore resident Leon Saunders said that two Bermudians ? ?Rodney and Dennis? ? stayed with him in Baltimore for three nights in December, 2002.

He said that he took Rodney and Dennis shopping where the brothers purchased the appliances. Dennis Simmons told the court that he was in Baltimore with his brother Rodney Simmons for a vacation and they went shopping with Mr. Saunders.

However, Mr. Simmons said that Mr. Saunders purchased the three appliances.

And that Mr. Saunders gave him a receipt for the appliances to bring to Young when he returned to Bermuda.

The court heard that when Mr. Simmons returned to Bermuda he brought the television from Young, who dropped it off at his home in Smith?s along with the washer and dryer.

Mr. Simmons told the court that Young called him and told him that someone at his job was playing games and told Mr. Simmons to look inside the dryer.

Mr. Simmons said he looked inside and found two bags of cannabis, which he said Young then told him to deliver to a man named ?Judson Williams?.

Mr. Simmons said he got into his car with his brother to dropped off the cannabis at Mr. Williams? house but was pulled over and arrested by Police en route.

The court heard that the Police found the two bags of cannabis in the back seat of Mr. Simmons? car.

Defence lawyer Larry Scott said to Mr. Simmons:: ?The fact is that you got caught out on an importation deal and are trying to fit Mr. Young up.? The trial continues today before Assistant Justice Carlisle Greaves.