producing illegal drugs and now Operation Bermuda Triangle which has moved against alleged drug smugglers on four cruise ships which regularly run to Bermuda.

What we may be seeing is the second phase of Operation Cleansweep. Phase one was aimed at street pushers in Bermuda while phase two was intended to used information gathered from the street pushers to move against suppliers, especially major suppliers abroad.

The sweep on the Bermuda cruise ships as they returned to New York last Saturday from their weekly cruise to Bermuda was complex and unusual and reported at some length by The New York Times. According to The Times, United States Federal drug officials think that the drug operation involved more than a dozen people and accounted for 25 to 50 percent of the drugs arriving in Bermuda. The luxury ocean liners were used by crew members to funnel cocaine, hashish and marijuana from New York into Bermnuda and to ferry the cash back again.

An assistant United States attorney who is prosecuting seven of the defendants in the case, told The New York Times: "You think you're safe and secure on a cruise to Bermuda but, in fact, there are drug smugglers serving you lunch or making your meal.'' For a long time, Bermudians have been aware that the cruise lines were used as a major means of entry for drugs into Bermuda. Now we are puzzled by the fact that the New York arrests of crew members apparently arose from information supplied by a person arrested in Bermuda. Yet, as far as we know, there have been no arrests of locals and surely information must have been supplied which involved people in Bermuda.

However, if The New York Times had not carried the story, this newspaper and its readers might never have known of this operation. While it was openly announced in New York and heavily publicised, the Police in Bermuda were silent. The Times story appeared on Sunday yet on Monday this newspaper had difficulty getting any reaction from the Police Public Information office.

Only yesterday, after the story appeared and a multitude of questions emerged, did the Commissioner of Police agree to a press conference.

If the New York estimate of anything from 25 to 50 percent of Bermuda's illegal drug supply being involved in these arrests is anywhere near accurate, then something is seriously wrong with Police public relations in Bermuda.

A reasonable person might have expected some excitement at Prospect and an attitude of "Look what we're a part of!'' or at least an announcement that there was progress in the war on drugs. Perhaps nothing is supposed to happen over Labour Day, but then it was labour Day weekend in New York too.

The Police take a great deal of abuse very regularly in this Country. It's time they learned to take credit for successes and to blow their own horn a bit.