Two Bermudians arrested at Philadelphia International Airport are facing a string of charges over an alleged Jamaica to Bermuda drug smuggling ring.

Shakai Darrell, 25, and Sanchez Clayton Smith, 20, had both swallowed numerous pellets of hashish. Law enforcement officials said their arrests last month "threw a wrench into a Jamaica-to-Bermuda hashish smuggling route."

Both were en-route to Bermuda from Montego Bay, Jamaica, when they were picked up. They are said to have ingested more than 1.5lbs of hash between them, stored in 112 plastic pellets.

Darrell was detained by customs officials on September 25. The accused, who hails from Twin Lane, Pembroke, was escorted to hospital, where he passed 38 pellets of hashish and one pellet of marijuana with a street value of $8,500 based on US values.

Swallowing latex gloves or condoms full of drugs is a common but dangerous method of concealment used by smugglers.

Darrell was turned over to the Philadelphia Police Department upon his release from hospital. According to documents from the Municipal Court of Philadelphia County, he was charged on September 29 with manufacturing, delivering or possessing drugs with intent, possessing a controlled substance and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

He was granted bail in the amount of $550,000, but according to the court documents, remained in jail as of September 29. He is being represented by a public defender and is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on October 23.

Smith, of South Road, Paget, was detained at the airport a week before that. He allegedly admitted to customs officials that he was an "internal carrier" and was taken to hospital where he passed 74 pellets with a US street value of more than $13,000.

He was turned over to Pennsylvania State Police after being released from hospital and is being dealt with by the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County.

According to court documents, he is awaiting formal arraignment on charges of manufacturing, delivering or possessing drugs with intent, possessing a controlled substance, and two counts of engaging in a criminal conspiracy. His next court date has been set for October 29 and he has been granted $175,000 bail.

Days after the arrests, US officials busted what they believe is yet another drug-smuggling plot aboard a Bermuda-bound airliner. The US Airways jet was delayed for two hours on Friday ,October 4 after 20lbs of marijuana was found in the cargo hold.

Customs officials were alerted by an airport worker who became suspicious when a man entered the "belly" of the plane with a rucksack and then left without it. No arrests have been reported in that case.