An effort to crack down on cigarette smuggling in New York state has led to the seizure of nearly $1.7 million in cash and untaxed cigarettes and cigars.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday announced the results, which are the culmination of six months of work by the state’s new Cigarette Strike Force, a group of investigators from the state’s Department of Taxation and Finance.

The strike force is intended to stop individuals and businesses that buy, sell or transport untaxed cigarettes.

In their first six months on the job the unit has seized more than 12,000 cartons of untaxed cigarettes, more than 250,000 untaxed cigars and 2,000 pounds of loose tobacco.

(AP)