Seventy percent of prisoners arriving at Westgate test positive for drugs, according to Labour and Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister.

And Government is now set to introduce further steps in a bid to stem the flow of drugs at the prison facility.

The figure was revealed following an Opposition call for stricter control of Westgate prisoners following reports of a lucrative drug trade occurring within the facility.

"We're dead serious; we're really committed that the men and women that find themselves in our prison system are rehabilitated," Mr. Lister said.

Measures to stem the tide of drugs coming into the prison include a new gate system which does not allow people to drive around the outskirts of the facility.

Mr. Lister told The Royal Gazette that drug users were put straight into detox programmes when they arrived at prison to clean up their system before they were allowed to mix with other prisoners.

He said drug testing was mandatory for all new prisoners but Government was looking at the possibility of testing prisoners throughout their jail terms.

Other new measures to stop the drug trade are dog patrols around the exterior and doubling the number of cameras around the facility, said Mr. Lister.

Mr. Lister said: "I am very keen to do what we can do but we don't want to go against the law or good international practice. Hopefully we will know in the next couple of weeks."

He said drug use was so widespread in society that prisoners were taking it on job sites during work release.

He said: "At the end of the day Bermuda has to say 'Enough already'.

In addition, Mr. Lister said the 13 new Police officer graduates were the type of persons who are changing the Island and cutting into the drug trade.

"Seven women and six men who believe Bermuda's values, culture and history are worthy of protection. This country has had periods of almost lawlessness and that will stop," said Mr. Lister.

"Greater efforts are being made to stem the flow of drugs into this country. Drug court is becoming a reality and these are things that will work," he added.

Shadow Labour and Home Affairs Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said tennis balls containing drugs have been thrown over the security fence.Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves, who deals with a revolving door of drug cases in the Drug Treatment Court, last night said he believed that drugs in the prison system has become a world-wide problem.

He added that while serving on the bench in Barbados, he dealt with cases involving prisoner and prison guards possessing drugs.

"I have personal feelings about that," he said. "The infiltration of drugs in the prison system is a worldwide problem.