Narcotics officers interviewed two businessmen the day before a package addressed to their company, and containing cannabis worth $500,000, was picked up from the Bermuda International Airport.

But Det. Sgt. Hayden Small rejected suggestions that it was "highly irregular'' to alert potential suspects before a suspicious package was shipped to its final destination.

He was giving evidence in the trial of brothers David and Noel Ottley and Otis Burt Ingham.

The trio deny possession of cannabis with intent to supply and handling the drug with intent to supply on May 27, 1998.

Supreme Court has heard that 10,181 grams of cannabis was hidden inside a drill bracket which was in a package addressed to Boyles Excavation on Quarry Hill Road in Warwick.

Customs and Police seized the package on May 22 and opened the bracket to find 23 packages of cannabis inside it.

The bracket was resealed, after some of the packages were replaced with dummies at Police Headquarters in Prospect, and was sent back to the Airport to be collected.

Puisne Judge Norma Wade-Miller heard earlier that Police had discovered Boyles Excavating had split in February, 1998, due a family dispute.

Det. Sgt. Small said Timothy and Ranay Boyles were interviewed "informally'' by Police the day before the drugs were collected from the Airport -- May 26, 1998.

Ingham's lawyer Larry Scott asked the officer why Police did not allow the trans-shipment of the drugs to go through to the address. Mr. Scott said: "Knowing that investigation of drug smuggling is a serious game for the other side, the bad guys, you have to be on your toes.

"Why then would you, a, not allow the trans-shipment to go through; and ,b, treat the Boyles so casually when you know you have a consignment going to them?'' Det. Sgt. Small replied: "Having spoken to the Boyles, we were of the opinion that once they stated they knew nothing about the consignment that someone else would make representations for the consignment and that whoever made representations for the consignment (would be) on behalf of someone else.'' The officer stated earlier that the Boyles had not been told during the interviews that the consignment contained drugs.

They had also told Police they had not ordered any packages and that most engineering equipment came from New York or New Jersey.

The package containing the drugs was posted from West Palm Beach, West Florida.

Det. Sgt. Small said it was not correct to suggest Police had not allowed the package to be trans-shipped to its final destination. He said no one from Boyles had made representations to collect the package.

Elizabeth Christopher, who with Renee Foggo is representing the Ottley brothers, said Ranay Boyles called the freight shed at the airport three times on May 27 -- the day after he was interviewed. The officer said he was not calling the shed directly, but a company called Refur Trucking.

She said: "The Boyles must have been put on notice that there was a funny shipment with their name on it.'' Det. Sgt. Small replied: "If they were expecting the shipment.'' The officer said Ranay Boyles was arrested on May 30, 1998.

Earlier, the jury heard that there was no paper trail linking the consignment with Ingham, 33, of St. Luke's Lane, St. David's.

The papers to release the pallet containing the drugs from the Airport was signed by an Andy Fox, who was an employee of Refur Trucking.

Det. Sgt. Small said: "I believe Andy Fox was interviewed on several occasions and indicated he cleared goods for Boyles Excavating. "I conducted further inquiries which showed the company known as Boyles has now fractured into two due to family conflict. I interviewed two individuals and these individuals could shed no light on the shipment.'' The officer said an individual, not representing a company, went to the airport in the early hours of May 27, but knew nothing about the machinery, so the bracket was put back into the freight shed.

The jury heard David Ottley, 44, Noel Ottley, 43, and Ingham were arrested at the Ottleys' house on Lighthouse Hill Road in St. David's on May 27.

Crown Counsel Sandra Bacchus said the fingerprints of Ingham and David Ottley were on the bracket. The court heard the three defendants were seen in a white van with a pallet which looked like the one containing the drugs in Flatts Village on May 27.

Det. Sgt. Small agreed that one of the defendants waved at one of his officers because he knew him, as his van, allegedly containing the drugs, overtook Police at Stonecrusher Corner on May 27.

The trial continues today.