Seven children will be without their fathers after two men were jailed for two and three years for their part in smuggling $281,000 of cannabis into Bermuda.

In his first Supreme Court sentencing, newly appointed Assistant Justice Archibald Warner sentenced three airport workers to prison yesterday, one suspended for 24 months.

Victor Arthur Bean, 38, of Area View Road, Devonshire, Antowyn Robert Bennett, 32, of Mount Road, St. George's, and Kenneth Maurice Smith, 48, of Slip Road, St. George's initially appeared with a fourth defendant, Andrew Fox, 30, of Vaucrosson's Crescent, Pembroke when all of them denied charges of importing, handling and possessing 5,620 grammes of cannabis with a street value of $281,000.

Fox, a truck driver, maintained his not guilty plea and his trial will start today, but the others changed their plea to guilty.

Smith received a three-year sentence, Bennett was given a two-year term and Bean's 24 month sentence was suspended for two years.

The offence occurred on January 17 of last year when the three men were working for Bermuda Aviation Services (BAS).

On January 6 a box arrived from New York, and Police were informed that it contained illegal substances. A search revealed a package of cannabis. Police replaced the drugs with a dummy and electronically tracked its movement.

As a result of their investigation, Police arrested and charged all four defendants.