Two American visitors caught with almost $1.8 million of cannabis onboard a cruise ship were yesterday jailed for four years.

Tamika Lashawn Ross, 26, and Shannon Phoenix, 25, both of the Bronx, New York, admitted handling 78.74 pounds of the drug, which was found in their cabin on the Horizon at St. George's on July 8 last year.

The pair claimed through their lawyers that they had agreed to bring four pounds of cannabis into the Island, but panicked when suitcases appeared in their cabin and more drugs were found in their safe.

Crown counsel Anthony Blackman told Supreme Court that if the drugs were sold in 0.5 gram deals in Bermuda, they would be worth $1,789,575. Phoenix's lawyer Victoria Pearman argued that if the cannabis was sold in one pound weights, it would be worth around $500,000.

Police narcotics officers with dogs and Customs officers went to the Horizon after receiving information and went to the cabin used by the two women, Mr. Blackman told Acting Judge Archibald Warner.

Ross was not onboard but Phoenix answered the door and the dog ran to two black suitcases and the safe.

When Ross arrived later she was escorted to the cabin and found to have a twist of marijuana in her bra.

She admitted the black suitcase was hers and it was found to have three concealed plastic bags. When she was asked if there were any other drugs, she pointed out another suitcase which had 30 brown packages, and the safe which contained16 brown packages.

The pair said they had agreed to bring in four packages of cannabis in the suitcases but said they panicked when they found out there were far more drugs, said Mr. Blackman.

Mr. Blackman, who asked for the pair to be jailed for six years, said: "Your Honour will be aware of the hardship and havoc drug use and trafficking brings to those people involved as well as their families.

"In this situation, these two defendants for greed and gain decided to bring controlled drugs to Bermuda for between $3,000 and $4,000 apiece."

Phoenix's lawyer Victoria Pearman, who called for a sentence of four years, said her client agreed to allow four pounds of cannabis to be hidden in her cabin and retrieved later.

She claimed that when Phoenix realised there were other bags placed in her cabin and things were placed in the safe, she called the ship's authorities to report it.

"She panicked and did not feel she was in a position to pick up the telephone and say to the authorities: `I agreed to accept four pounds (of cannabis) but there are suitcases in my room with drugs and some in the safe.' "

Mr. Justice Warner told her: "The moral is: `Do not do deals with the devil'."

Ross's lawyer Elizabeth Christopher said her client was supporting her mother and siblings, and had been a decent citizen until this "aberration".

Phoenix, a mother of a four-year-old son, told the court she and her siblings had been in foster homes where they were abused and she wanted to ensure her child did not endure the same fate.

At the time of agreeing to take the drugs, she had fallen behind in her rent and had her lights and telephone cut off, she said.

Saying she feared her son would abused in a foster home, Phoenix pleaded: "This was a crime of desperation. I pray for the court to have mercy, not on me, but on my son."

Ross, who also said she was supporting her mother and siblings, said: "At the time I honestly did believe it was for a good cause, but I realise it was the biggest mistake of my life."

Mr. Justice Warner said the court could exercise mercy, and although the six-year sentence proposed by Mr. Blackman was "appropriate" he ordered the pair to be jailed for four years.

Phoenix and Ross hugged one another and cried before they were led away to begin their sentences.