A cruise ship employee was jailed yesterday for attempting to import more than $12,000 worth of cannabis into Bermuda.

Colombian national Elroy Bent-Brackman claimed he was offered $500 to traffick the drug while working aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship Norwegian Dawn.

The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import drugs at an earlier court appearance this year. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years' imprisonment yesterday.

Crown counsel Cindy Clarke told Magistrates' Court the defendant was caught by NCL staff smoking cannabis in his cabin and a search of his belongings ensued.

The chief security officer and other staff discovered two bags of "a dried plant material" plus three hand-rolled cigarettes, and Bent-Brackman was detained until the ship arrived at Dockyard on July 15.

When Norwegian Dawn docked at Heritage Wharf, Bent-Brackman was arrested by Bermuda Police Service Narcotics officers.

Ms Clarke told the court the ship departed New York on July 12 and two days later, staff received a report of crew members smoking cannabis in Bent-Brackman's cabin.

"They conducted a search of his clothes and found a red t-shirt, in which was wrapped two clear plastic packages containing what appeared to be a dried plant material," said Ms Clarke.

A further search then discovered three 'joints' stashed in a locker.

Bent-Brackman told security staff: "They don't belong to me.

"They asked me in New York if I would bring this on the ship and they would give me $500."

A Government analyst report said the two plastic bags contained 245.64 grams of cannabis. The joints contained 0.51 grams.

Ms Clarke said if the quantity was broken down into 494 half-gram 'twists', this would equate to a street value of $12,350.

Defence lawyer Larry Scott asked Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner to take into account Bent-Brackman's early guilty plea.

Mr. Warner said: "He admits that he was lured, tempted or encouraged to bring a substantial amount of drugs into Bermuda. He admits he knew it was illegal to bring drugs into Bermuda.

"The maximum sentence in this jurisdiction is ten years' imprisonment. I must consider the defendant's guilty plea and his cooperation. There is no doubt he pleaded guilty at the earliest possible time."

He added: "It is a substantial amount of drugs. The importation of drugs into Bermuda will not be tolerated and carries substantial penalties.

"In all the circumstances the appropriate sentence is two-and-a-half years' imprisonment."

A second man is due to appear at Magistrates' Court in November in connection with the case.