A confiscation hearing has got under way against a businessman who was jailed for 33 months after he admitted being involved in a cigarette smuggling operation.

Gerrard Strange, who had previously been managing director and chief executive of Bradford-based textile firm Listers, went on to use his Sutton-in-Craven furniture import business as a front for bringing in millions of "bootleg'' cigarettes from Poland.

In January 2005, Customs officers swooped on the premises of Eurotrend Furniture UK Ltd at Greenroyd Mill and found more than one million cigarettes hidden in a consignment of sofas. Another lorry arrived at the premises later that same day and a further 500,000 cigarettes were seized.

When Strange was sentenced in November 2005, Judge Roger Scott was told he accepted six similar deliveries had taken place over the preceding four months. The court heard the duty evaded on the smuggled cigarettes was in excess of £665,000.

The married father of two was sent to prison after he admitted being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of duty on cigarettes, but was released in October last year.

Strange, 51, found himself back at Bradford Crown Court again as prosecutor Jonathan Gibson opened the confiscation proceedings against him.

It is argued Strange benefitted to the tune of more than £700,000 as a result of the duty evaded and payments he received as part of the cigarette scam, and the prosecution want a judge to declare he has assets which can been sold to recoup some of the money.

Mr Gibson told Judge Christopher Prince today that as well as Strange's matrimonial home in Glenhurst Road, Shipley, he also purchased properties in Wexford, Ireland, and South Africa.

The prosecution claims the equity in the three properties could total more than £200,000, but Strange is arguing other parties such as his wife and sister-in-law have legitimate financial interests in the properties.

Strange's finance director at Eurotrend Furniture Richard Ramsden, 36, of Buckstone Garth. East Morton, is also involved in the confiscation proceedings.

He was sentenced to 120 hours community service work after he admitted involvement in the cigarette scam on the basis he only became aware of what was going on an hour before one of the lorries arrived.

His benefit figure relating to duty evaded is put at £222,900, but his realisable assets amount to only £67,703.

Ramsden's counsel is expected to argue his only benefit would have been the financial reward he would have received for helping out and that he had no interest in the cigarettes themselves.

The hearing continues.