Brother and sister jailed

Southwark Crown Court heard how Andrew held a safe deposit box at Edgeware Depository, which police found contained more than £99,00 cash and three Nigerian passports.

And further investigation revealed that he was living a lavish lifestyle both in the UK and overseas.

He was arrested at his home address in North Kensington in November 2008, and admitted three counts of possessing false identity documents and one of possessing criminal property.

Andrew's case was first heard at City of Westminster Magistrates Court, and he was released on bail on the understanding that a £25,000 security be paid to the court.

But officers became suspicious when his sister met the amount on the same day, so began enquiries into her finances and discovered she was also engaged in criminal activity.

Further enquiries revealed she was committing benefit fraud and sub-letting a council owned property, making £138,000.

She also owned a number of overseas properties, and regularly travelled to exotic countries.

She was arrested at her home in Wembley in June, and was jailed for 18 months on August 26.

DCI Terri Nicholson, from the economic and specialist crime command, said: "The result illustrates the value of using financial investigation to target organised criminal networks.

"In this case, a familial network, who systematically defrauded the public purse over a number of years.

"We will now be looking to begin confiscation proceedings in order to deprive the two defendants of all assets acquired through their criminality."

The arrests were made as part of Operation Rize, an intelligence led police operation in June 2008, where officers raided seven business premises targeting people using safety deposit boxes to conceal criminal assets.