A Bermudian caught with $40 million of cannabis on a yacht off the Bahamas has been jailed for seven years in the US.

The massive haul was destined for the streets of Bermuda, according to law enforcers.

Norman O'Donnell Rayner, from Pembroke, was on board the American-registered vessel along with its US owner when it was intercepted by the US Coast Guard in the waters off the Bahamas on January 5.

A search of the yacht uncovered cannabis weighing around a ton, or two thousand kilos. Rayner was arrested, along with the yacht's owner. A Police press release issued late yesterday in response to inquiries about the case from this newspaper did not name the US man.

However, it revealed: "They were arrested and handed over to the F.B.I Drug Unit in Miami, Florida, who conducted a full investigation with the assistance of HM Customs Bermuda and the Bermuda Police Service.

"The investigation revealed that the cannabis was loaded onto the yacht in Jamaica and was headed to Bermuda where the drugs were to be offloaded. Rayner entered a guilty plea in this case at a Miami court on Friday August 1. He was sentenced to eighty-four months (seven years) imprisonment."

No further comment was available from the Police last night. However, a spokesman said after news of the arrests in January: "This seizure highlights the continued determined efforts by those involved in drug smuggling to bring drugs to Bermuda.

"It also exemplifies the international nature of this insidious criminality and the complex nature of law enforcement operations needed to combat it. This significant success is a credit to law enforcement cooperation and the commitment and effort of Bermuda Police Service personnel."