A pluggable optical connector with a lock and release mechanism having a slider. The slider includes a handle, two spaced apart longitudinal arms extending from the handle and along two opposite sidewalls of a housing of the connector, two wedges formed at two free ends of the two arms respectively for forcing two deflectable locking tabs formed on a cage outwards when the connector is plugged into the cage and locked therein, and a bridge extending between the two arms. A single transverse leaf spring is positioned between the bridge and a transverse vertical wall extending inwardly from the housing of the connector. The leaf spring exerts spring force in a longitudinal direction, and locking of the connector is released with a reverse movement of the connector countering the spring force.