of handling $500,000 of cannabis with intent to supply.

And after the verdict the lawyer for one of the accused criticised Police for not going after the "big fish'' who had actually imported the drugs.

Elizabeth Christopher, who represented David Ottley in the case, said her client's brother, Noel Ottley, 43, had suffered a few minor strokes brought on by stress as a result of the trial.

The Ottleys and co-accused Otis Burt Ingham, 33, hugged one another as they walked free from Supreme Court Three following the verdict on Thursday afternoon.

The court heard there was no paper trail to link the three to the $500,000 of cannabis which was imported to Bermuda International Airport from West Palm Beach, West Florida, on May 22, 1998.

The drugs, in 23 packages, were found inside a mechanical drill bracket in a crate which was addressed to Boyles Excavating in Quarry Hill Road, Warwick.

Police opened the equipment and removed some of the packages, replacing them with dummy drugs at Police headquarters, Prospect.

The bracket was re-sealed and returned to the Airport to see who would collect it.

Narcotics Department officers interviewed Timothy and Ranay Boyles of Boyles Excavating on May 26, the day before the drugs were collected, but officers said they were satisfied neither had any knowledge of the drugs.

Defence lawyers described the decision to interview the Boyles as "highly irregular'' because the package was addressed to them.

Not guilty verdict Police, however, said the company had been split into two, and they insisted the brothers had not been told there were drugs inside the package.

The package was signed out of the Aiport by an Andy Fox of the Rafur Trucking company, but it was eventually picked up in a white truck.

The truck was found later that day at the Ottleys' house in Lighthouse Hill Road, St. Davids, where the three defendants were arrested.

The jury unanimously cleared the three men of possessing the drug with intent to supply and handling the cannabis with intent to supply.

Noel Ottley said afterwards: "I feel terrible because I was innocent from the start. The charges should not have been brought against me because I had nothing to do with it '' Mr. Ingham said: "I felt I was innocent the whole time and it was a long wait.

"I was wondering why they couldn't get it over quicker, but I kept the faith and our prayers were answered.''