Bermuda should make sure it is not being used as a through route for illegal drugs, Government Whip Ottiwell Simmons said yesterday.

Mr. Simmons said an estimated $14 million worth of drugs had been seized over the last year -- but that it had been suggested only ten percent of the total was netted.

And he questioned whether Bermuda really had a $140 million drug habit -- or whether some of the drugs thought to be imported to the Island went on elsewhere.

Mr. Simmons said: "I haven't heard that from Police or Customs, but I think we should look at that.'' Finance Minister Eugene Cox said Customs was expected to spend nearly $8.8 million in the coming financial year -- a $140,000 increase (two percent) on the current year.

But income from duty and other charges collected by Customs is expected to be a whopping $176,746,000 -- up by $9.63 million or six percent on 1999/00.

And he added "streamlining of business practices'' and the use of high technology automation in Customs posts would lead to a faster service. But he said that the original revenue laws were "100 years old and needed upgrading'' to allow for modern methods to be used.

Former top cop and Government backbencher Wayne Perinchief said "efficiencies'' in the department would not lead to job losses -- but redeployment of existing staff to play a bigger role in drugs seizures, freeing Police to combat drugs on the street.

He said: "In Bermuda historically, Customs has been a revenue earner -- probably the most efficient way of collecting revenue. In a jurisdiction such as ours, it's difficult to shift that tax base without introducing some sort of income tax, which we are not considering at all.'' But he added: "Demand on the Customs department will increase rather than decrease as they shift into an additional role of drug interdiction.'' Shadow Finance Minister Grant Gibbons said there had been an "unfortunate situation'' where Customs officers were "allegedly involved in drug smuggling.'' And he called for random drugs testing across the Customs service to catch users.

DRUGS DGS