Police found $15,000 in cash under the bed of an airport worker accused of importing $2.2 million worth of drugs, a jury heard yesterday.

The discovery was made during a search of Macai Bean's home the day after he was arrested over a bag full of heroin and cannabis found at the airport.

According to prosecutors, Bermuda Aviation Services (BAS) worker Bean, 25, drove a sanitation truck up to the Delta flight that came in from Boston at 11.40 a.m on September 1, 2008.

A bag dropped out of the aircraft hold and landed by another BAS employee who kicked it towards Bean. He's alleged to have picked it up, carried it to the truck and driven off.

A search was launched after a security guard reported seeing the suspicious activity. Two hours later, the bag was found by a Customs officer near the waste dump at the airport. It contained 18 kilograms of cannabis and half a kilo of heroin, with a total street value of $2.28 million.

Bean was arrested later that day. He denies conspiring with others to import heroin and cannabis and possessing it with intent to supply.

Giving evidence yesterday in Supreme Court, Detective Constable Rickson Wiltshire explained that Bean's home, on Main Road, Sandys, was searched, the following day.

A total of $15,000 was found in a Timberland boot under Bean's bed. He'd been asked earlier in the search if there were any large amounts of money in the house and replied that there were not. When the wad of cash was pointed out to him, he reportedly replied: "I forgot about that. It's my life savings."

The jury has previously heard from airport security guard Iris Young, who became suspicious after seeing a BAS worker pick up the bag that dropped off the plane and drive off with it in the sanitation truck.

She described the man in question as wearing a baseball cap with the letters NY on it and a pair of sunglasses. Yesterday, Det. Con. Wiltshire told the jury he searched Bean's locker at the airport after his arrest, and seized two baseball caps and two pairs of sunglasses.

When he showed them to the jury, Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves pointed out that one of the caps bearing the New York Yankees logo was the one Ms Young identified as worn by the truck driver. She also identified one of the pairs of sunglasses.

The court also heard an audio tape of a Police interview conducted with Bean the day after his home was searched. He confirmed that he emptied the trash and the lavatories from the Delta flight that day, and for a US airways flight, and then drove the trash truck off.

He said he went upstairs for a cigarette after he'd finished his duties and was arrested soon after.

Bean told the Police he was wearing a New York Yankees cap and a pair of shades that day. However, he denied standing near the sanitation trick when a bag dropped off the Delta flight and denied picking it up. "I never put no blue bag on the lavatory truck," he stated.

Asked if someone else would have put the bag in the truck, he said this was a "possibility." He also said that "a couple of people" working at the airport look like him and "a lot of people wear new York Yankees hats and shades, you know what I mean?"

Under cross examination from defence lawyer Charles Richardson, Det. Con. Wiltshire confirmed that two other BAS workers named Kori Hinds and Darren Hodsoll were working that day and were arrested during the investigation. Mr. Richardson asked: "Are you aware that on September 2, 2008, Mr. Hinds attempted to leave the Island and was arrested trying to do so?"

The detective confirmed he was aware of this.

"He was actually pulled off the aircraft," continued Mr. Richardson.

Det. Con. Wiltshire replied: "I'm not sure if he was pulled off."

The case continues.