Drug-sniffing dogs and narcotic officers from the Jamaican Police Department were called in yesterday morning at the hotel of the Bermuda soccer players in an extraordinary security measure initiated by Bermuda team officials.

No, it wasn't that they expected to find anything. It was just a procedure that was planned to get a message through to the players that any attempt to smuggle drugs out of the country would not be tolerated.

Bermuda Football Association, still haunted by memories of the `Miami Seven' drug incident involving the Bermuda Under-23 team in 1994 after they left Jamaica for Miami, were taking all necessary measures to prevent such a fiasco from happening again.

But BFA president Neville Tyrrell made it clear that they never expected anything to be found in the luggage of the players and he said he remained optimistic that no similar incident would occur while the team was enroute to Bermuda, again via Miami and New York.

The bulk of the players left Jamaica yesterday at 3.30 for New York while the remaining eight were due to leave at 5.30 for Miami and then join up with the rest and overnight in New York before returning home tonight.

"We had an arrangement with the Jamaica Police Force,'' explained Tyrrell.

"All of the bags were checked this morning and they have been secured and locked down. "They will not be seen by the players until the appropriate time when they need them again. They will remain secured and under surveillance until then.'' Added Tyrrell: "The BFA have done everything in our power that we can do in this regard. The players have been excellent, very well behaved along the way.

"We advised them all along about various drug issues. At Monday's dinner they were told specifically that the Police would come at random this morning to check their bags.

"Of course nothing was found. We have been very impressed by the overall behaviour of the squad. They have made Bermuda proud, both on and off the field of play. They have been gentlemen all of the way.''