The British High Commission to Nigeria’s Chargée d’Affaires, Vicky Seymour, has praised the close cooperation between Nigerian and British law enforcement agencies following a major operation targeting an international drug trafficking network.
The joint investigation has led to the arrest and charging of two people in the United Kingdom over the alleged trafficking of more than 180kg of cocaine.
The suspects, identified as 50-year-old Oladipupo Atandare of Dagenham and 44-year-old Latifat Yusuf of Hornchurch, were arrested after 180kg (397lb) of cocaine was seized in the UK on August 5.
They appeared before Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on August 8 and were remanded in custody. They are scheduled to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on September 7.
According to the Metropolitan Police, the arrests relate specifically to the cocaine seizure in the UK, while investigations are continuing into the discovery of a similar quantity of cocaine in Nigeria.
Nigerian authorities on Tuesday announced the seizure of 184.5kg of cocaine, valued at about £20 million, concealed in brown boxes at a courier facility in Lagos.
Several arrests have been made in connection with the Nigerian investigation, including an employee of a logistics company and social media influencer Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as KC Luxury.
The 49-year-old, who has close to 700,000 Instagram followers, reportedly portrayed himself as a businessman and influencer involved in gold and luxury goods and frequently displayed expensive cars on social media.
Nigerian law enforcement authorities have accused him of being the Nigerian “arrowhead” of an international drug cartel.
Reacting to the development, Seymour said the operation underscored the strength of the partnership between the UK and Nigeria in combating serious and organised crime.
“This outcome demonstrates the strength of the UK-Nigeria partnership in tackling serious and organised crime,” she said.
She added that cooperation among the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and Home Office International Operations was helping to disrupt criminal networks, strengthen border security and protect communities from the consequences of illicit drug trafficking.
“We remain committed to working closely with Nigerian partners to tackle organised crime and keep our communities safe,” Seymour said.
