man accused of masterminding a drugs ring which imported more than $280,000 of cannabis.

Andrew Fox, 30, a truck driver of Vaucrosson's Crescent, Pembroke, denies conspiracy to import a controlled drug and importing a controlled drug.

Yesterday Assistant Justice Archibald Warner ordered the jury to deliver a not guilty verdict on two other charges of possession and handling of a controlled drug.

Crown counsel Dorien Taylor told the court that Fox had confessed in a statement that a package he had gone to collect at the airport in January last year had contained 12 and a half pounds of marijuana for another person not before the court.

Mr. Taylor said: "Where would Mr. Fox get that information from unless he deals with the exporter of the drug?'' And in a reference to Mr. Fox's refusal to take the witness stand Mr. Taylor said: "But today he says nothing, that's his right.'' "What inference can you draw? I am asking you to infer that he's guilty of conspiracy to import 5,620 grams of cannabis as well as importing those drugs into Bermuda.'' However defence lawyer Mark Pettingill said the charges did not fit because Mr. Fox had never actually been in possession of the drugs nor had the Crown proven that he had conspired to import.

He said: "Mr. Fox says `I left the airport'. Ask yourself if you wanted to bring in tens of thousands of dollars of marijuana that you had put together and wanted to get hold of would you just leave?'' "There was no evidence he fled. If there was you would have heard about it.

"He went there and picked up a legitimate package and left -- that's what he does for a living.'' "There is no evidence he sent money overseas to buy the drugs, or there was a wire transaction.

"Do you think people buy drugs on credit?'' However on Monday a prisoner testified that Fox had offered him money to bring in a consignment of cannabis.

Antowyn Robert Bennett, a former Airport freight worker, said Fox offered him $10,000 to bring in the drugs in January last year.

Bennett, 32, of Mount Road, St. George's, is one of three men who pleaded guilty last week to importing and conspiring to import more than 5,600 grams of cannabis with a street value of up to $281,000.

Bennett told the jury that Fox initially offered him $5,000 to take out a box at the Airport which contained the drugs.

He said he told him he would think about it, but Fox later upped the price to $10,000.

Bennett, who was jailed for two years after pleading guilty last week, said the drugs were given to him by Victor Arthur Bean, 38, of Aerial View Road, Devonshire, who was given a suspended sentence and $5,000 fine last week.

He said he hid a package of drugs in his pants and walked out the freight shed but was arrested. He said he intended to give the drugs to Fox.

He testified that Fox had talked of bringing in ten pounds of cannabis.

However, Bennett told the court that the drugs presented in evidence were not from the package he put down his pants.

He agreed with Fox's lawyer Mark Pettingill that he made a statement to Police last Monday before he was sentenced.