In an island of just 21 square miles it seems almost beyond belief that the big men behind the big deals rarely get jailed.

While the junkies suffer, crime soars, gangs cause carnage and the taxpayer toils to foot the bill for spiralling law and order costs, the powerhouses fuelling Bermuda's craving for illegal chemicals are scarcely breaking a sweat in their air conditioned mansions.

And it all seems to go on right under the noses of the law in one of the most densely policed places in the world.

Drug counsellor Nelson Bascome suspects the pattern is not about to be broken.

In the twilight world of drug dealing street pushers have little motive for squealing on their bosses.

"If he gets caught it doesn't enhance his life any by saying 'I get my money from Mr. A. Why prick on Mr. A because that's the only job I have, pushing drugs. As long as I give him his cut'. "Now Mr. A deals with Mr. B who is bankrolling everything, who knows how to get the drugs in here. Now Mr. Bs know a lot of Mr. As. All Police can do is put surveillance on them and hope they slip up and you catch them but they will never tell on Mr. B.

"Now Mr. A has got a house, a few more things than the little people on the street, but not as much as Mr. B who stays right there, protected, because he knows he can say to Mr. A 'I got you the house and all the other things you enjoy.' He will never prick on Mr. B. It's a vicious cycle.

"The middle line people will serve time before saying who Mr. Big is because they benefit materially from it." And while some claim there are vast profits made even on the lower rungs of the drugs chain, Mr Bascome disagrees.

"The pusherman on the street might have a car, a bike, but he's living at home with his momma. Bermuda has a big drug problem but pusherman hasn't got any money.

"The average guy on the street has to hide his money, most of the time he gives it to his momma, his baby's mother, they buy a car, they buy jewellery.

"They don't send their money overseas no more. The money goes to the jewellery stores, car dealers selling cars for $55,000 cash.

"The more jewellery you've got on the more collateral you have.

"You never get to see Mr. Bigs. There are very few and they are very organised."

There was the 2002 ten-year sentence given to cannabis dealer Kirk Roberts, recalls Mr. Bascome but very few after that because the big guys are so well protected.

"The game is so secure for them. That top tier guy really maintains a high level of anonymity. That's his job."

Bankrolling the business rather than getting his hands dirty with drugs is their forte.

Mr. Big might evade the law but the evidence of their success is all around as plush new houses spring up, bearing no relation to the nominal earnings of their owners.

There is no paper trail as the labourers are often drug users paying off debts.

Night clubs and bars are a common way to launder money and sell drugs believes Mr. Bascome.

"We have a number of establishments which are the suppliers of drugs.

"We have main dealers with resources to get drugs through our ports, mainly our shipping ports, our docks. That's where large quantities of drugs are getting in.

"Dunkley's was a classic case. Here's a reputable organisation bringing in milk everyday. Why open the container?

"Dunkley's was just the tip of the iceberg. Finally somebody checked a container."

"There are a number of reputable organisations that don't checked."

But behind a company's good name can lurk employees or even middle managers sneaking in contraband among run-off-the-bill goods.

"It might be someone high up in management, someone in head office signing an invoice, signing a slip."

Informing on a drug boss can be career changing for the street pushers while others who openly point the finger face even worse consequences.

Narcotics head Superintendent Larry Smith said: "People are as co-operative as they want to be but if it looks like it is going to hit into their homes or interfere with anything they may benefit from you don't get the co-operation.

"You have to take into consideration the size of the Island and the reprisals for people identified as assisting the Police.

"Even though there are not many drug killings you are still talking about the potential for violence against members of the public, family, kids. You are still talking about a very lucrative business."

"I have a good idea as to who the players are in this country but it's an evidence thing.

"Even if someone talked to us everyday and gave us intelligence or information on of a particular person or organisation it still gets back to evidence.

"Investigation is all about patience. Every person who does wrong makes an error. We investigate, work with airlines and overseas agents. It takes time."

For Drug Control Minister Wayne Perinchief the search for Mr. Big is misleading.

"People always talk about big drug dealers with millions of bucks bringing in large shipments.

"On occasions large shipments come in a container or large bulky items like a refrigerator but with crack and even heroin and cocaine it can come from lots of little users.

"Surprisingly young, well-dressed females have been a very popular mule. They don't have a record. They look like ordinary college kids.

"That is much more prevalent than people realise, there are lots of small dealers doing this. So you get a constant, perpetual supply."

Carried in body cavities the drug is passed off to small time dealers

"There are many, many people. At one time people could start off as dealers with $6,000 to $18,000."

Asked how many dealers were operating at one time Mr. Perinchief said: "You better talk about hundreds, not dozens, small dealers with their own little empires."

A couple of dozen kingpins control turf through gangs said Mr. Perinchief but there are still small entrepreneurs getting in on the action ad hoc.

Clearly the rewards are sufficient to risk both jail time and gang retribution. "They may even do it once or twice or sporadically. But they have to create a market and that's when turf wars start.

"That's when someone's car, truck or boat or even house gets burned down. We have seen that happen.

"Quite frequently it is someone moving into someone's turf."

Supt. Smith said the big money was in heroin but people could get started in cocaine and cannabis with far less cash.

"Drugs is a business, some people have credit, charging up the drugs and then paying when its sold.

"There are so many folks who are conspirators ? if you can't fork out $60,000 yourself then you can create a partnership."

And there are many people silently complicit in the drugs trade.

Focus drug counsellor Randy Leverock says: "You have the mother who hates drugs but has a son in drugs who pays her rent, buys her gifts, buys her stuff they use.

"Eventually she turns a blind eye. He comes home and says 'Here's a thousand dollars momma, go pay your rent. We need a dishwasher, a drier? Here mom ? take a trip, have a car'. She's not even using but she becomes part of the drug trade.

"The Police hands are tied. They get so far and it's a road block, records go missing and the road goes cold. They get told you can't go there.

"This the reality, you have to say there are people bank rolling it who are not the ordinary Joe Blow."

@EDITRULE:

Tomorrow: Focus Counselling Services ? dealing with the fall-out from Bermuda's drug habit.