Both Flowers and Jubair were arrested at their homes at around lunchtime, in quick succession, on September 16, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said, which worked to secure charges against the pair on Wednesday, alongside City of London Police. From there, they were held in different custody blocks and interviewed, including questioning related to offences separate from the TfL attack.
The arrests of two men aged 19, a third aged 17 and a 20-year-old woman were made at their home addresses in London, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands, with support from West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (Rocu) and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit.
The high street shop fronts are seen as connecting various domestic problems in Britain, as illegal cigarette sales are tied to serious organized crime and undermine public trust in authorities.