A cruise ship worker will spend seven years behind bars for his role in an attempt to import $200,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis.

Jamaican Dwight Wright changed his plea after the first day of his trial, pleading guilty to two counts of handling drugs intended for supply.

He was sentenced yesterday before the Chief Justice Austin Ward.

Crown counsel Sandra Bacchus told the court how 29-year-old Wright, the head bus boy onboard The Norwegian Majesty , had attempted to hide the cocaine and cannabis in a box of Evian water.

Fellow crew members found the drugs after they noticed the box was separated from the other boxes of water and saw Wright acting suspiciously when Customs Officers came to inspect the ship.

The drugs found consisted of 233 grams of cocaine with a potential street value of $56,250 and 3,019 grams of cannabis having a potential street value of $150,950.

Ms Bacchus stressed that the case involved large quantities of drugs and was made more serious because it involved cocaine. She also pointed out that the Court of Appeal had outlined that a more serious penalty should apply when a cruise ship employee uses his position to engage in drug trafficking.

Defence counsel Richard Hector told the court that his client had no previous convictions of any kind and was a father of two children.

He had worked for Norwegian Cruise Lines for four years.

Mr. Hector said other crew members resented his client because he had come aboard The Norwegian Majesty as head bus boy and as a result he did not have any friends. The man who ultimately befriended him was the one who sought his assistance in handling the drugs.

Other mitigating factors put before the court were Wright's cooperation with the Police in "telling them everything'' and in assisting them in attempting to apprehend the other players in what came to be known as Operation Bermuda Triangle.

Mr. Hector pointed out that Wright was "easy prey'' for Police in this case because he had not had any dealings with the Police before and was interviewed by them over and over again without an attorney.

Mr. Hector then cited two cases to assist the court with sentencing. But the Chief Justice later dismissed these cases because they dealt only with cannabis and Wright had handled cocaine and cannabis.

When asked whether he wished to say anything, Wright said: "I am sorry for the trouble I have caused. It won't happen again.'' In sentencing Wright, Mr. Ward stated that the amount of drugs involved in the case made it a serious one and sentenced Wright to seven years on each count.

The sentences are to run concurrently.

Mr. Hector then pointed out that his client had been in prison for seven months and Mr. Ward allowed time already spent in custody to be taken into account in the sentence.

Wright remained emotionless throughout the proceedings.