A Jamaican drugs mule who said the devil made him import more than $153,000 worth of cocaine in his stomach began an eight-year jail sentence yesterday.

Glenroy Evalle Harvey, a Christian, begged for mercy after claiming he had made the doomed attempt to get cash to pay hospital and medication bills for his cancer-stricken wife who had her entire womb removed.

Harvey, 50, from Kingston, had ingested 99 packets of cocaine when he was spotted by customs officers acting nervously when he entered Bermuda on October 16, 2000.

A search of his belongings revealed nothing but customs officers noticed his hands were shaking and there were beads of sweat on his forehead.

He agreed to have an x-ray done which revealed his entire colon was packed with oval packets which tests revealed was cocaine.

Harvey, who has no previous convictions in Bermuda or Jamaica, said he had been promised $7,000 to deliver the drugs.

Father-of-three Harvey, an electrician by trade, said he had planned to work in Bermuda to improve on the $1,000 salary he earned back home and help pay the medical bills and school fees for his youngest child.

But drug dealers got wind of his trip and pressured him for three days.

He told the Supreme Court yesterday: "I told them I didn't believe in drugs, I believe in hard work.

"But they taunted me, taunted me, taunted me. I didn't want to do it. I just wanted to save my wife. I didn't know what to do with myself -- my heart was in pain.'' He said his wife is prone with cancer and doctors had recently discovered she needed another operation.

"I don't know how my family is managing. I got in such a stupid situation -- the devil overpowered me at the time. I needed to save my wife from dying.

"I don't even know what's happened to her and how far her condition is deteriorating.'' Chief Justice Austin Ward pointed out that although Harvey had pleaded guilty and there were mitigating factors he had failed to name his Bermudian connection.

Mr. Ward said: "That the situation was desperate was obvious but those who are poor, meek and desperate are the most exploited in this world.

"That is not a mitigating factor. I sentence you to eight years in prison with time spent in custody taken into account.''