A Nigerian man convicted in the United Kingdom for his role in an attempt to smuggle cannabis worth £13.8 million into the country is awaiting sentencing, as a separate UK-Nigeria investigation has led to charges against two other Nigerians over a major cocaine seizure.
Gideon Oluwasetemi Olumoyegun, 26, from Dagenham, was among an 11-member gang arrested by Border Force officers at Birmingham Airport in August 2024 after they were found with hundreds of kilogrammes of cannabis concealed in suitcases.
Olumoyegun pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing and is scheduled to be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on September 3.
The other members of the gang were convicted on Wednesday following a four-week trial and are expected to be sentenced on October 22.
According to the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), the gang members arrived in Britain on the same flights from Thailand via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
The couriers were carrying a total of 22 suitcases, with each suspect travelling with two cases containing about 20kg of cannabis.
Investigators said the gang was attempting to import about 460kg of the Class B drug into the UK.
The cannabis was vacuum-packed inside the suitcases and concealed beneath a thin layer of clothing. Eight of the suitcases were also fitted with Apple AirTag tracking devices, indicating the level of planning that went into the operation.
The NCA said the seizure prevented the drugs from reaching the UK market and disrupted the criminal network behind the importation.
Paul Boniface, NCA senior investigating officer, said a significant level of planning had gone into the operation.
“A huge amount of planning went into this sophisticated attempt to bring hundreds of kilos of cannabis into the UK,” he said.
“With thanks to Border Force, we were able to confiscate these drugs and stop criminals from benefitting financially from the damage they cause.
“Anyone who is approached to smuggle drugs into the UK should take this as a sign; you will not succeed, and if you try, you will face justice.”
Meanwhile, British and Nigerian authorities are investigating a separate international cocaine trafficking case following the seizure of more than 180kg of cocaine in the UK.
Oladipupo Atandare, 50, of Dagenham, and Latifat Yusuf, 44, of Hornchurch, have been charged with international drug trafficking offences in connection with the UK seizure.
The pair were arrested following the recovery of more than 180kg (397lb) of cocaine in the UK on August 5.
They appeared before Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on August 8 and were remanded in custody. They are due to appear before Snaresbrook Crown Court on September 7.
The Metropolitan Police said the charges relate specifically to the seizure in the UK, while investigations are continuing into the discovery of a similar quantity of cocaine in Nigeria.
The Nigerian seizure involved 184.5kg of cocaine, reportedly worth about £20 million, which was found concealed in brown boxes at a courier facility in Lagos.
The discovery has triggered a wider investigation in Nigeria, with several arrests already made.
Among those arrested is an employee of a logistics company allegedly linked to the movement of the consignment.
A social media influencer, Afolabi Kazeem Michael, 49, popularly known online as KC Luxury, has also been accused by Nigerian law enforcement authorities of being involved in the operation.
Michael, who has nearly 700,000 followers on Instagram, presents himself as a businessman and influencer involved in gold and luxury goods and has frequently showcased expensive cars on social media.
Nigerian authorities have described him as the alleged “arrowhead” of an international drug cartel operating across borders.
The UK and Nigerian investigations highlight the growing international dimension of drug trafficking networks, with criminal groups increasingly using commercial flights, courier services and sophisticated concealment methods to move large consignments of narcotics across jurisdictions.
While the cannabis case centres on an attempted importation through Birmingham Airport, the cocaine investigation spans both countries, with authorities on each side examining whether the seizures are connected to a wider trafficking network.
Afolabi Kazeem Michael
The latest cases also demonstrate the increasingly coordinated approach by law enforcement agencies in the UK and Nigeria to intercept international drug shipments and identify those responsible for organising their movement.
Olumoyegun’s sentencing on September 3 and the next court appearance of Atandare and Yusuf on September 7 are expected to provide further developments in the separate investigations.