Customs officers have been given instructions to speak to a supervisor before checking the Premier's courier mail — and he has allegedly told them he doesn't "appreciate" packages being searched.

Collector of Customs Winniefred Fostine-DeSilva sent the unusual directive to staff last year — but some have ignored it because they are deeply unhappy about Premier Ewart Brown being given special treatment.

Under the Customs Department Act 1952, officers have the right to search anyone's mail if they are suspicious about its contents — and no one is exempt from the law.

Customs sources, none of whom would be named, told The Royal Gazette that mail sent to Government Ministers was often opened because criminals have used their names and addresses to try to get illicit substances into the country.

The Premier is said to have expressed displeasure to Ms Fostine-DeSilva about packages sent to him or his wife being opened at the airport.

Officers say the Collector sent a memo to them outlining a new procedure for handling his mail but some have disregarded it and continued to open post addressed to him and Wanda Henton Brown without telling a manager. A source said: "There have been instances where the Premier's mail was opened and we are talking about not his actual mail, through the postal service, but through the courier service, for him and his wife.

"The directive from the Collector was that any time an officer has a suspicion to open his mail you are supposed to call up the boss first to authorise the search.

"They would have to call up one of the managers and they are supposed to call him [the Premier] to see if he was expecting a package. Because he is the Premier, some people do feel he should be given protocol."

The source explained: "Some people have been using Ministers' names to bring in drugs illegally. All packages go through an X-ray machine and the officer has the discretion, if something doesn't feel right or if there is something unusual about the paperwork, to do a search."

The source claimed the Premier was the only Minister to have got upset about legitimate packages being checked.

"He has been upset about it in the past. He has mentioned it to our boss. Our boss said we are supposed to let a manager know and a manager will contact his office to let him know that the package will be opened."

A second source said: "A memo was sent out some time ago. In other jurisdictions, there is certain diplomatic immunity for mail coming in for a premier."

The issue came up during a tense meeting between Dr. Brown and customs officers earlier this month, when he is alleged to have told them that if they continued to open his parcels they would get a surprise.

The first source said: "He wasn't aware that a directive had gone out for him. He wasn't aware of that at all. She had taken it upon herself to send out the directive."

A third source said the meeting — called by Kenneth Dill, head of the civil service — was supposed to be a question-and-answer session about various issues, including pay.

"The Premier was just supposed to be there to answer questions. The Premier says he didn't come to answer questions or express views.

"He said: 'I don't appreciate Customs going through my mail and if this continues the mail will be getting more and more interesting.'

"Nobody knows how to take that. The problem is a lot of people send drugs to the Island in key persons' names and that's part of the reason Customs does search. They put the Minister's name or address and they have somebody to pick it up [before it reaches the Minister]. In our job at Customs, you just never know.

"That could be a big spark when he made that comment. You are telling us not to do our jobs."

Zane DeSilva, Minister without Portfolio, was also at the meeting and is said to have criticised the way his family members were dealt with by HM Customs.

A fourth source said: "Zane DeSilva had some concerns about his daughter bringing in her wedding dress. Something must have transpired and he wasn't too pleased with the way she was handled."

Dr. Brown's spokesman said he had nothing to add yesterday: "The Premier is content to allow the statements he made in the meeting to stand as delivered."

Ms Fostine-DeSilva, Mr. DeSilva and Finance Minister Paula Cox, who is responsible for HM Customs, could not be reached for comment.

In 2007, during the run-up to the last general election, a package sent to Dr. Brown containing a bullet and a threatening letter was intercepted by staff at the airport sorting office.

Police have never revealed the outcome of their investigation into the incident and Shadow Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley has said he believes it was "a concocted story".

Three years earlier, before he became Premier, Dr. Brown was accused by the US Consulate General of a "gross violation" of aviation security for not going through mandatory security screening procedures at the airport.

Transport Minister Dr. Brown denied refusing to be searched as he was about to board a plane and said a security guard motioned him towards the departure gate and walked off after he asked to see a supervisor.