$184,350 was yesterday jailed for 11 years.

Supreme Court heard that Steven Petgrave, a Jamaican who had recently gained American citizenship, was picked up at the Airport on April 6 after a flight from New York after customs noted he was acting suspiciously.

He was arrested and Police found he had a receipt for plastic wrap which is often used to help swallow and import drugs.

The receipt also showed that he had bought Pepcid AC tablets which can ease the stomach pain caused by carrying large amounts of drugs in the stomach.

He later passed 122 pellets containing a total of 590 grammes of the drug -- enough to make 3,687 rocks of crack.

Despite offering to help Police set a trap for his Bermudian contacts when he was arrested and pleading guilty at an earlier hearing, Petgrave, a 24-year-old jobless chef, was given a sentence just one year short of the maximum by Chief Justice Austin Ward.

Crown counsel Larry Mussenden had earlier called for the highest possible sentence -- 12 years -- because of the effect the drug was having on addicts on the Island.

He said: "When people peddle this poison, it ends up in somebody's body. Here we have 3,687 doses that would have ended up in someone's system.'' Referring to Petgrave's fee for a successful drop, Mr. Mussenden said: "While Petgrave was promised $5,000, others would have been sent on a downward spiral, often resorting to breaking and entering or prostitution to pay for their habit.

"Your Honour, it's Cup Match time and I would ask your Lordship to hit him for a six.'' But defence counsel Marc Telemaque said: "I would ask that you examine each case on its merits. You must do justice to the community but you must also do justice to the defendant.

"He is a young man with two children and he is the sole breadwinner in the family and is under pressure to support his family because his partner has gone to college.'' "He had lost his job as a chef and someone tempted him into becoming a drugs mule.

"He accepts it was something stupid. He also has no convictions either here or in the United States.'' In setting the sentence Mr. Justice Ward noted Petgrave's guilty plea, his cooperation with the Police and his apology to the court. But he said previous case law meant that an 11-year sentence was appropriate.