Police and Customs officials are set to seize record values of illegal drugs this year -- after raising standards in training, detection equipment and inter-agency cooperation.

So far this year more than 62 kilos of illegal drugs have been picked up by Customs officers and Police. Last year 110 kilos, with a street value of $6.3 million was seized throughout the year.

But while the amount of cannabis is down seizures of both heroin and cocaine have rocketed. So far this year more than 1,000 grams of heroin have been seized compared to 114 grams last year.

And the amount of cocaine recovered has already risen 127 percent from 2,480 grams last year to 5,630 grams this year.

A large number of foreign drugs mules have already been hauled before the courts this year after being arrested at the Island's airports and docks carrying large quantities of drugs.

At a Press conference yesterday representatives of the Police, Customs, and Crime Stoppers all claimed that liaison between the three organisations had been stepped up recently -- a significant factor in busting drug smugglers trying to import narcotics.

But better equipment -- including a high tech drug detector used by Customs officers since the beginning of the year -- and improved training for narcotics officers, had also helped boost the figures. And at yesterday's Press conference all representatives expressed their thanks to members of the public for their diligence and help in "the war against the menace of illicit drugs''.

Crime Stoppers spokesman David Carruthers revealed that, in the first six months of this year, the organisation had received 60 calls from members of the public -- 40 of which were in connection with drug crimes.

And he added that, in the four years since the organisation was set up, $3 million of drugs had been seized as a result of calls to the Crime Stoppers hotline.

Acting Police Commissioner Vic Richmond suggested it was possible that the record figures could simply mean that the Island was being swamped by increasing amounts of illicit narcotics.

"One of the major concerns within our community is the scourge of illegal drugs and the adverse effect it has on the quality of all our lives,'' he said.

"There is no doubt about the fact that drug abuse breeds crime and crime affects every segment of our society in a negative way.

"The extent of the drug trade in Bermuda is extremely difficult to quantify.

"It is impossible to say what our seizures mean in terms of a percentage of the total drugs imported into our Island.

"We cannot of course go into specifics as many of the seizures relate to matters that are still under investigation or remain before the courts.'' But Collector of Customs designate Winifred Fostine Desilva went further, saying that the increase was more likely due to improved training, equipment and inter agency cooperation rather than through increased trafficking.

"We need to emphasise that the increase in drugs seized doesn't mean that there's an increase in the usage of drugs on the Island,'' she said.

"Our intelligence with overseas agencies has improved. We have certainly improved in our technology and we have been doing some cross training between the various agencies.'' Newly appointed chief of the Police narcotics division Det. Ch. Insp. Larry Smith added that the most effective way of ridding the Island of drugs was to stop them "crossing the border'' in the first place.

And he singled out Customs rummage crews who search cruise ships from top to bottom to sniff out illegal contraband.

"We have concentrated solely on the introduction of drugs onto the Island -- if we can stop drugs coming in, then there will be less drugs being sold on Bermuda's streets,'' he said.

"But the success or lack of success of drugs enforcement depends on the continued cooperation between all agencies, Customs and the Police Service in general.'' CUSTOMS CUS DRUGS DGS