A Bermudian nightclub owner is being held in a Caribbean jail on suspicion of being a member of a massive international drug smuggling ring.

Drugs squad officers swooped on Odyssey nightclub owner Tracy Tucker on the island of St. Martin in the Dutch Antilles on June 30.

Tucker was arrested along with six other men, none of whom are believed to be Bermudian.

He is being detained in one of the island's two prisons and will appear in court in September to face numerous drugs charges.

Details of the arrest are still vague but yesterday a spokesman for the Bermuda Police Service confirmed that Mr. Tucker had been arrested. The drug involved is thought to be cocaine. And although the actual size of the seizure has not been released by the St. Martin authorities, the Police spokesman described it as "significant''.

"Tracy Tucker was arrested on June 30 in St. Martin along with six other people who are non-Bermudian in relation to a large seizure of illegal drugs believed to be cocaine,'' the spokesman said.

"He is still in Police custody in St. Martin and will appear in court in September.'' The spokesman also confirmed that a narcotics officer from the Bermuda Police Service had flown out to the tiny Caribbean island to help local officers with their investigation.

It is not the first time that Mr. Tucker has been in a foreign jail in connection with drug trafficking offences.

In 1993 he was detained in a New York prison and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to the possession of smuggled marijuana.

Mr. Tucker, who was running a construction company at the time, collected a piece of machinery from Kennedy Airport while on a business trip.

But the machinery had already been intercepted by Police who found it packed with 30 pounds of cannabis.

Mr. Tucker was arrested when he picked up the machinery and, because he was not a US citizen, was remanded in custody until his court appearance. He was later fined $2,000 and also given five years probation after pleading guilty to the lesser charge of possession. Importation charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence.

Mr. Tucker opened up the Odyssey club on Front Street in January 1997 along with his father Clarence.

Last night Clarence Tucker refused to comment on his son's whereabouts, but confirmed that he was not expecting him to return to the Island in the immediate future.

And he also threatened The Royal Gazette with legal action if his son's predicament was made public.

"He's not on the Island at the moment but I am taking care of his affairs,'' Mr. Tucker said.

Bermudian club owner arrested "I have no comment in reference to where Tracy is...'' St. Martin is one of five islands that make up the Dutch Antilles north west of Antigua.

Measuring about 30 square miles it is divided into two jurisdictions, one administered by the Dutch, the other by the French. It is uncertain which of the two authorities has custody of Mr. Tucker.

ARRESTED -- Tracy Tucker, who runs Odyssey nightclub DRUGS DGS