airports warning visitors to Bermuda of the Island's drug penalties.

Mr. Robert (Bob) Farmer said he has spoken to Police Commissioner Mr. Colin Coxall and others about the idea.

"One of the things I have suggested and would like to see done is have a sign up in the departure lounge on every Bermuda flight,'' warning potential drug importers of "the high possibility of getting into very serious trouble with a long prison sentence,'' Mr. Farmer said.

"I've talked to the Police Commissioner and some other folks. He and I are going to work together to see if we can't get something like that done.'' There are about 20 Americans in Bermuda prisons, many of them serving long sentences for trying to bring illegal drugs onto the Island.

Most recently, 36-year-old Victoria Zambardi of Brooklyn received a ten-year sentence this month for arriving at the Airport with 51 pellets of crack cocaine in her stomach and another 11 pellets in her handbag.

The profile of drug carriers, known as "mules'', is well-known, Mr. Farmer said. Using the profile and searches by Customs officers, along with dogs and X-rays, Bermuda does "an excellent job of interdicting drugs.'' He said he "applauds'' the Bermuda Government's desire to send a strong message to drug importers. However, "that message may not be received on the streets of New York and Boston and Newark where these couriers are recruited''.

"Therefore, Bermuda ends up with the problem and supports these people for five or seven years in jail,'' he said.

Mr. Farmer said he had also looked into a complaint that American prisoners were not receiving paroles as quickly as Bermudian prisoners who were sentenced for the same offences.

"We've checked into that and we don't see any pattern of abuse there,'' he said.

In any country, the US Government sought to assure that American prisoners received the same treatment local prisoners did.

Because American prisoners in Bermuda did not have the same educational opportunities Bermudian prisoners did, Mr. Farmer was working with the American Society on a mentor programme for them.

Ms Nancy Smythe, a director of the American Society in Bermuda, said the group's annual general meeting was to be held at Chelston last night, where an update on the mentor programme was expected.

The 200-member society wanted to find someone to "champion'' the programme, Ms Smythe said. The programme might only involve donation of books and magazines to prisoners, or could become more involved, she said.

Interested members of the society are planning a visit to the Co-Ed Facility at Ferry Reach, she said.