More than 200,000 illicit cigarettes found in customs raid on Yorkshire self-storage units

Officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) raided the units in the Kirkstall/Headingley area of the city earlier this week.

Following the raid on December 14, which used a sniffer dog to track down the illicit tobacco, the officers discovered £202,120 cigarettes, worth an estimated £79,400 in unpaid taxes.

The goods were seized by HMRC and investigations are ongoing.

No one has been arrested.

A HMRC spokesman said: "The sale of illegal tobacco will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies. Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £2.3 billion a year. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.

“Cheap cigarettes come at a cost, as they often fund organised crime and other illegal activity that causes real harm to our communities. We encourage anyone with information about the illegal sale of tobacco to report it online or call the Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.”