foreign land can be costly.

Despite having permission to carry a small dosage of heroin in the US, New Yorker Mimo Masuda was fined $500 for importing and possessing the drug in Bermuda.

Twenty-three-year-old Masuda pleaded guilty to the charges in Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor said Customs officers watched Masuda as she retrieved her luggage at Bermuda International Airport on August 17 at 1.30 p.m.

She was subjected to a routine search at which time nine clear green packages were found in her cheque book. A further search turned up five needles.

Masuda was arrested and taken to St. George's Police Station where she admitted to being a "certified heroin addict'' and presented a card stating that fact.

The card is issued to heroin addicts in the US who are trying to withdraw from the drug and therefore need small doses from treatment centres designed to wean them off.

Addicts in such government-funded programmes must carry cards stating they have permission to carry small doses of drugs.

Masuda was found with .36 grams of 69 percent pure heroin.

Masuda told Police: "I have two bad habits, carrying around heroin and the other is I'm an addict.'' While taking this into account, Senior Magistrate Will Francis ordered her to pay a $300 fine for the importation offence and $200 for possession.