MORE than 1.7 million cigarettes have been seized from storage units in Bradford.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers discovered 1,743,000 cigarettes and 86kgs of hand-rolling tobacco at a self-storage site near the city centre on January 18.

The goods, which are believed to be illicit and worth an estimated £534,592 in unpaid duty, were found in three storage containers.

One of the units contained more than 1.2 million cigarettes packed in cardboard boxes.

Eden Noblett, assistant director, Fraud Investigation Service, at HMRC, said: "Trade in illicit tobacco costs the UK around £2.5 billion a year, money which should be used to fund our vital public services. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.

"We encourage anyone with information regarding the smuggling, storage or sale of illegal tobacco to report it to HMRC online, or contact our Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887."

No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.