A man accused of importing almost half a million dollars’ worth of drugs said that he thought he was bringing in clothes and diapers on behalf of a friend.

Edward Jelani Albuoy, 29, has denied charges that he imported MDMA — also known as ecstasy — cannabis and cannabis resin into the island.

He also pleaded not guilty to charges of possessing the drugs with intent to supply.

As he took the stand yesterday, Mr Albuoy told the Supreme Court that he went to visit Birmingham on August 23, 2017 to look at schools.

He said that while he was in the area, he met a friend who asked him to take diapers and other items of clothing back to Bermuda to give to another Bermudian friend.

Mr Albuoy said: “He said he wanted me to bring some Pampers back for his godson because diapers are so expensive in Bermuda.

“He also wanted me to give him some shirts.”

Neither of the men involved in the alleged transaction can be named for legal reasons.

Mr Albuoy said that his friend bought the diapers and T-shirts while Mr Albuoy packed them into his luggage.

He said that he did not notice anything suspicious about them, such as a bulge or smell of cannabis, which was later noted by customs in Bermuda.

Mr Albuoy said that while he had not met this Bermudian friend before, he did have a number for him and planned to call him or his British friend when he landed.

He told the court that he was stopped by a customs officer at LF Wade International Airport on September 3 and had his bag inspected.

Mr Albuoy said: “She explained to me that she’d check my items and I just complied.

“She asked me if the diapers belonged to me and I said no.

“I told her they were for a friend’s godson and that the friend had purchased them.”

He said that the customs officer then put the diapers through an X-ray.

He added: “I didn’t think anything of it — as far as I knew they were just some Pampers.

“I figured if she was putting them through the X-ray she had a reason.”

Mr Albuoy said that he became suspicious when she started to open the diaper bag, only to find that they were filled with drugs.

“I was shocked,” he said. “I didn’t think there would be anything inside it.

“My adrenalin started running, I felt sick. I couldn’t understand how they got there.”

Mr Albuoy said that he realised he had been set up and attempted to get his friend to visit the island and clear his name, but the friend refused.

He added that he later met the Bermudian man who was supposed to receive the package and confronted him about helping him to clear his name.

Mr Albuoy said: “He laughed at me and said he had nothing to say to me.”

Alan Richards, for the Crown, told Mr Albuoy that his story did not make much sense.

He pointed out that Mr Albuoy was unaware that his friend knew any Bermudians other than himself and that it seemed suspicious that he was not confused by this at all.

Mr Richards added that diapers were not so expensive that they needed to be imported and that this, combined with the fact that the T-shirts were of various sizes, should have seemed suspicious to Mr Albuoy.

Mr Albuoy insisted that he had no intention of importing drugs.

The trial continues.

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