The British High Commission to Nigeria's Chargée d'Affaires, Vicky Seymour, has welcomed the close cooperation between the UK and Nigerian law enforcement agencies following a major operation targeting an organised criminal network involved in international drug trafficking.
A man and a woman were charged with international drug trafficking offences as part of an investigation involving police in the UK and Nigeria.
Oladipupo Atandare, 50, from Dagenham and Latifat Yusuf, 44, from Hornchurch were arrested following the seizure of more than 180kg (397lb) of cocaine in the UK on 5 August.
They appeared at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on 8 August and were remanded in custody. They will next appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 7 September.
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The Metropolitan Police said the arrests related solely to the UK drugs seizure, but inquiries are continuing into the discovery of a similar-sized amount of cocaine in Nigeria.
On Tuesday, Nigerian authorities said they had discovered 184.5kg of cocaine, worth about £20m, in brown boxes at a courier facility in Lagos.
There have been a series of arrests in Nigeria, including a logistics company employee and a social media influencer with nearly 700,000 followers on Instagram.
Afolabi Kazeem Michael, who is 49 and known online as KC Luxury, presented himself as a businessman and influencer dealing in gold and luxury goods, and regularly posted videos of his flashy cars.
Nigerian law enforcement agencies have accused him of being the Nigerian "arrowhead" of an international drug cartel.
Seymour, in a statement on Tuesday, said, "This outcome demonstrates the strength of the UK-Nigeria partnership in tackling serious and organised crime.
"Working alongside the NDLEA, National Crime Agency and Home Office International Operations, partners in both countries are helping disrupt criminal networks, strengthen border security and protect communities from the harm caused by illicit drugs.
"We remain committed to working closely with Nigerian partners to tackle organised crime and keep our communities safe."
