A prosecution witness testifying against the alleged director of a drug importation plot denied pointing the finger at him to get himself out of trouble.

Ivan Albouy, 40, claims he was the mere mule in a scheme masterminded by Derek Burchall, 43.

Mr. Albouy was caught out on his last job, trying to bring cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy tablets worth a total of $348,450 from Jamaica to Bermuda via the US in July 2007.

He claims he was acting at the behest of Burchall, nicknamed Ponni, who he did repeated drug runs to and from Jamaica for.

After he was caught, Mr. Albouy helped Police set up a sting operation to catch Burchall allegedly collecting the drugs from him in Bermuda.

Mr. Albouy was later charged with conspiring to import drugs, pleaded guilty, and received a five-year jail sentence.

Burchall, from Sandys, was also charged and is now on trial at Supreme Court. He stands accused of plotting with Mr. Albouy and others not before the court to import drugs, which he denies.

According to Mr. Albouy's evidence in the trial, Burchall was a customer at the barbershop he ran in Court Street, and offered him the opportunity to supplement his income by going on some trips for him.

Mr. Albouy, from Warwick, said he made $60,000 to $70,000 from his role in the enterprise over the course of 2006 and 2007, visiting Jamaica multiple times. He admitted knowing he was smuggling illegal drugs but said he never handled or supplied them himself.

However, cross-examining Mr. Albouy, defence lawyer Rick Woolridge suggested his barbershop 2001 Cuts was actually a front for the sale of narcotics.

"Some people came there for a haircut, some people came for a poke of weed, some people came there for a couple of joints or whatever else was on offer," claimed Mr. Woolridge.

Mr. Albouy denied that was the case.

"My client came for a haircut and would buy his own stuff, a couple of joints for personal use from you," continued Mr. Woolridge.

"No," said Mr. Albouy, who described Burchall as being approximately five feet four inches tall at one point during his evidence.

In a reference to Burchall's height, Mr. Woolridge went on to suggest: "And when you went down with this mess, you went 'who can I think of? Oh, I know this little guy.' That's what all these lies and inconsistencies are about, aren't they?"

"No," replied Mr. Albouy again.

Later in his cross examination, Mr. Woolridge suggested Mr. Burchall helped the Police in the hope of getting a lighter sentence himself.

"You, sir, were calculating every step of the way how you were going to frame this man in order to make your situation as best you could for yourself," he alleged.

"No sir," replied Mr. Albouy, who has now served his prison time and is out on parole.

After he was caught with the drugs in his cases in Newark Airport, New Jersey, in July 2007, Mr. Albouy was escorted back to Bermuda by law enforcement officials who liaised with Bermuda Police to set up a sting to catch Burchall.

When he arrived home with his suitcases, two undercover detectives were waiting for him at his apartment in Cedar Avenue, Pembroke.

The jury heard evidence yesterday from one of those officers, Detective Constable Rickson Wiltshire. He tape-recorded a cell phone conversation Mr. Albouy had with Burchall, allegedly arranging for the latter to come and pick up the cases.

DC Wiltshire and a female colleague hid in Mr. Albouy's apartment, and left a tape recorder near the door to record the conversation when Burchall arrived to pick up the bags.

DC Wiltshire said he was unable to hear or see anything from his vantage point, but the bags were gone afterwards. The jury has heard from prosecutor Nicole Smith that Burchall was subsequently arrested.

The case continues.