US Consul General Dennis Coleman Jr. has branded Saturday's whistle-stop tour by six US lawmakers to discuss drug interdiction and money laundering a success - although he was giving little else away.

Mr. Coleman said: "It was a very good visit but a gruelling visit - all work.

"They arrived on Saturday afternoon, went to the hotel and started meetings right away."

The Congressional delegation met with Police after arriving from the Bahamas on a week-long fact finding mission in the Caribbean.

Yesterday Bermuda Police refused to comment about Saturday's meeting.

Mr. Coleman said: "There were substantive talks on issues about how we could work together more closely on drug interdiction and money laundering.

"Our people learned a lot and felt the trip was well worthwhile."

Asked if anything concrete had come out of the talks Mr. Coleman said: "The conversations were in general, not moving on to specifics. They are just trying to get an overview."

He said specifics would be hammered out by the professionals, not the politicians.

Asked if he thought Bermuda was doing its bit to beat the drug problem Mr. Coleman said: "It's a joint programme - we are trying to find out how we can do it together.

"It's not a question of running around saying how everyone is dealing with it."

Asked about the American view of how Bermuda was dealing with money laundering Mr. Coleman said: "That's an outcome of drugs you didn't interdict.

"It's an extension of drugs sales, the money is moved. It's money laundering, it's not a separate issue."

Included in the delegation which left Bermuda on Sunday morning included Republican Gregory W. Meeks, Mark Souder, who is chairman of the House Subcommittee on criminal justice, drug policy and human resources, Ben Gilman, a New York Republican, Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat and Todd Akin, a Missouri Republican.