Haul of cigarettes in decaying factory

A haul of smuggled cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco has been seized by customs officers from a derelict factory in Cradley Heath, it emerged today.

Officers uncovered 586,000 cigarettes and nearly 105 kilos of the tobacco packed in boxes in unhygienic conditions in a disused unit. It is estimated the haul is worth around £141,000.

Jennie Kendall, of HM Revenue and Customs, said the cigarettes, found on Friday, had been smuggled from abroad and were destined for the black market.

"These would have been sold immediately around the West Midlands," she said. "With legitimate cigarettes there are lots of rules and guidelines in place to protect people, but these were stored in a decaying factory."

No-one has been arrested.