Three teenaged schoolchildren were arrested yesterday following a Police drugs bust on a suspected cannabis-bagging factory.

All three teens -- thought to be Berkeley Institute students -- were eventually released after being questioned for four hours by Police at Hamilton Police Station.

The trio, two 16-year-old Pembroke males and a 15-year-old Paget male were arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act following the raid on a Pembroke home around 1 p.m. yesterday.

A Police spokeswoman said: "Shortly after 1 p.m. this afternoon Police arrested two 16-year-old Pembroke males and a 15-year-old Paget male while executing a search warrant at a South Terrace, Pembroke residence.

"The youths were found in possession of a quantity of plant-like material and were arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act. They were conveyed to Hamilton Police Station for questioning, then later released on Police bail.'' No details about the quantity of drugs found were given in the statement.

When contacted last night Education Minister Milton Scott could not confirm which school the trio attends.

But he said the Ministry would do all it could to counsel any students who are "at risk'' to ensure that "we don't write anyone off''.

Sen. Scott said: "I haven't heard anything. But I can assure you that in situations like this we will be doing all that we can.

"We do have an infrastructure to enable them to receive the proper counselling,'' he said.

"Both in the school and at Bermuda Youth Counselling Services which is jointly funded by both the Ministry of Health and Education.

"We ensure that our schools remain a drug free environment and students are committed to ensuring that the schools are drug free,'' he added. "It's a small number that is involved with drugs. I would not say that this is rampant.

"Schools are a microcosm of society. Yes, there are problems, but you find this in public, and private, and parochial schools. And it is something that has happened in the past and it will happen in the future.'' Mr. Scott concluded: "You know I look among my peer group and see those who had challenges when they were growing up.

"But we are not afraid to work with our young people. We can't afford to write anyone off. Now some of my peers are prominent people in Bermuda.

Doctors, lawyers and business people. We won't write anyone off.'' CRIME CRM DRUGS DGS