Bermuda Customs 1994 figures show.

This was more marijuana than the last five years put together.

Collector of Customs Mr. Gerry Ardis also revealed nearly six pounds of cocaine and 371.2 grams of heroin were seized by officers at the airport and docks.

The cocaine seizures, he noted, did not include 62 pounds of the drug found floating in local waters last autumn by a resident.

But the marijuana seizures included a huge 500-pound seizure worth $12 million.

Mr. Ardis told The Royal Gazette last year that Customs' success in confiscations was due in part to intense drug interdiction training for officers over the last five years.

News of the seizures came after a warning this week from Mr. Ardis' predecessor, Mr. Dick Kellaway, now the chief of British Customs' investigations arm.

The former Collector of Customs, reporting drug seizures were also dramatically up in his country, warned that despite this there was just as much marijuana, cocaine and heroin on his country's streets.

"It is an uphill battle,'' Mr. Kellaway said at a news conference in Britain to present the latest figures.

He said that last year record seizures were made of the synthetic drug Ecstasy and of heroin. Authorities also netted the second biggest haul of cocaine to date.

About 51 tons of drugs, including more than 2.2 tons of cocaine, a ton of synthetic drugs and more than 47 tons of cannabis were seized in 1994 with a combined street value of 550.7 million ($864.5 million).

Mr. Kellaway said the efforts of Customs officers had probably also deterred about 1.5 billion ($2.35 billion) worth of illegal drugs from entering the country.

He also announced that despite the bigger seizures, British Customs and Excise planned to cut 4,000 jobs over the next five years.

Mr. Kellaway served as Collector here from 1987 to 1990 until former Police officer Mr. Ardis took over.

During a visit to the Island last May, he gave his successor top marks, hailing Bermuda Customs as the best-trained Customs service in the world. He pointed to the more than 300 applicants last year for six vacant posts as proof morale at Bermuda Customs was high.

"The high level of efficiency in the Bermuda Customs service is a tribute to the people who make up the department and to its management,'' Kellaway said, adding, "Bermuda should be proud of them ... Bermuda Customs is doing even better than I expected.'' This is a far cry from the Bermuda Public Services Association's assessment this week. Officials of the union that represents customs officers complained of "irregular hiring practices'' and Mr. Ardis' "autocratic'' style of management -- observed ever since he took over the job.

The BPSA is threatening industrial action as a result of the decision to hire the foreign-born wife of a Bermudian to fill one of the six jobs advertised last year.