drugs in an oven he imported because he did not trust them, his lawyer said yesterday.

Mr. Archibald Warner said in Supreme Court that his client could not trust Police narcotics officers because one of them was having an affair with his wife.

Ming, 29, of Beacon Hill, Sandys Parish, denies importing $35,000 worth of cocaine to the Island on Fenruary 2, 1994.

Ming, told the court yesterday that he had a recorded phone conversation of his wife and narcotics officer Kevin Christopher.

"They were discussing the fact that Mr. Rudolph Richardson, who is alleged to be having an affair with my wife, had asked my wife to lie when she was put on the stand and they also discussed the fact that Richardson did not trust her as he thought she was attempting to set him up,'' he said.

"I have a recorded tape of Richardson and my wife discussing whether or not it was prudent for them to make sure that any evidence the two of them gave was consistent with their relationship.'' Mr. Warner said: "Ming did not call the Police after finding the drugs because "the enemy is one and the same''.

"Ming could not turn to the narcotics officers because they were the same ones sleeping with his wife.'' Customs officers found the drugs in a General Electric oven and replaced them with a dummy package. Police followed the delivery truck to Ming's wife's Devonshire apartment where they waited for him.

The Police later saw Ming leave the apartment on a bike and they chased him.

He managed to escape along a dirt rode throwing the package in some bushes.

Crown Counsel Mr. Philip Storr accused Ming of getting rid of the drug package, which was evidence.

But Ming denied the accusation. He said: "The reason why I did not stop for the Police is because I thought I was carrying drugs.'' In his summation, Mr. Storr said Ming discussing his wife's affair was "simply throwing dirt to make a smoke screen''.

"What possible relevance would it have,'' he asked.

Mr. Storr said Ming's wife had not come to give evidence. "It has nothing at all to do with this case.'' He added that Ming's story about him finding the package and going off on his bike before talking to anyone "gave himself time to get a nice tidy story ready for the Police''.

Mr. Warner told the jury that they have never heard "a more forthright and truthful defendant''.

"Ming's package was tampered with but we don't know where and we don't know how safe it was after he delivered it to the warehouse in Connecticut,'' said Mr. Warner. "There is no evidence that this man has anything to do with putting the drugs in the oven.''