Police and customs officials raided gambling boat yesterday while she was moored at St. David?s. Numerous gaming machines, computers and documents were seized and the ship?s captain was arrested.

Lawyer Lewellyn Peniston, who acts for the vessel?s owners Estrellas Management (BVI) Ltd, last night expressed outrage at the action. He hit out at the courts for giving permission for the raid to go ahead without notice and without chance for all the parties involved in the action to take part in a hearing.

?With absolutely no opportunity for the owners to make any representations or provide any reasonable and alternative explanation it (the warrant) permitted the Police to go on board without notice and virtually rape the ship of its machines, every document they could get their hands on and any other equipment that they deemed related to gambling machines,? he said.

The 196-foot luxury vessel has hit the headlines in the past owing to controversial plans to operate her offshore as a casino. Last year, customs officers raided the boat when she was moored in Dockyard over non payment of duty and failure to obtain the necessary permission to operate in local waters. An injunction halted that action.

Premier Alex Scott said after the vessel left Bermuda in December last year: ?The sailing of this ship quietly out of our waters should send an important signal to any others who may be considering flouting our gaming laws.? Mr. Peniston blasted this at the time as ?cheap and utter nonsense?. And in the aftermath of yesterday?s raid he accused the government of ?double standards? and ?hypocrisy? in permitting games such as crown and anchor and bingo to be played on the Island while maintaining an anti-gambling stance.

The lawyer said it was never intended for the ship to operate within Bermuda?s waters where gaming is banned - although she could do so once in international waters 12 miles off-shore. However, he claimed that this was not the purpose of the ship?s current visit. She arrived in Bermuda on July 24 and planned to leave her mooring at Marginal Wharf on August 14, and Mr. Peniston said it had been made clear that this was a merely stop-off in transit with no plans for her to operate as a casino.

He branded yesterday?s raid: ?An attempt by certain political elements to claim the moral high ground on the back of double standards and hypocrisy.?

Mr. Peniston initially appeared at Magistrates? Court on behalf of the owners yesterday to seek the discharge of a Police search warrant relating to the vessel. Acting Magistrate Justin Williams told Mr. Peniston to take the matter to Supreme Court but when this bid failed, officials went ahead with boarding the boat.

The ship?s captain, who is believed to be Panamanian, was being held at Hamilton Police Station as went to press last night. Mr. Peniston said he had been arrested on suspicion of importing machines contrary to the Prohibition of Gaming Machines Act 2001.