serve three and a half years in prison.

Lotiqua Maia Phillips, of Ferrar's Lane Pembroke, pleaded guilty to drug importation.

The unemployed 19-year-old was arrested at the Bermuda International Airport on December 7 last year after arriving from New York with her nine-month-old son, the Supreme Court heard.

Crown counsel Sandra Bacchus told the court Phillips presented two carry-on duffel bags and a plastic shopping bag of toiletries to Customs officials.

An officer heard a knocking noise from within one of two bottles of baby powder. The bottles were X-rayed and found to contain a total of nine oval objects which turned out to be 210 grams of cocaine.

And officers also discovered a condom with 114 grams of cocaine inside Phillips' vagina.

Phillips admitted to Police officers a woman had paid her $1,500 to import the condom-wrapped cocaine.

But she denied any knowledge of the cocaine hidden inside the bottles of baby powder.

Phillips reportedly told officers: "I'm not taking the blame for this. What's going to happen to me? I'm just concerned about my son.'' Narcotics officers subsequently charged Phillips with the importation of the total 324 grams of cocaine.

But yesterday, Chief Justice Austin Ward accepted Phillips' claim that she did not know about the cocaine found inside the bottles.

He pointed out that Phillips had left the bag containing the bottles unattended at a family member's home in New York. And he said she had done everything required of her during a failed sting operation.

He also dismissed an earlier suggestion by Ms Bacchus that Phillips might be a regular drug courier.

Defence Lawyer Richard Hector described the young mother as an unfortunate woman who had been taken advantage of by drug dealers.

"Her mother was scraping to pay the rent and buy groceries,'' Mr. Hector said.

He also claimed the woman who offered to pay Lotiqua $1,500 knew of her circumstances.

"She convinced her to do this thing to alleviate her circumstances,'' Mr.

Hector added.

He asked Mr. Ward to deal with his client "in such a manner that she does not feel abandoned''.

Before being sentenced, Phillips said she was extremely sorry for her actions and apologised to her family and son.