Drug dealer who compared himself to Pablo Escobar and boasted of 'running the streets' is jailed

'I'm still rolling like Pablo...' said Shahen Ahmed in a video recorded in a car

An East London drug dealer who compared himself to Pablo Escobar and boasted of running the streets of Tower Hamlets has been jailed for nine-and-a-half years.

Shahen Ahmed, 34, was targeted by officers working under Operation Yamata, which focuses on dismantling drug supply networks across the city.

They identified three sophisticated drug lines running under the banner of 'Killah' and police identified Ahmed being involved.Officers found found a large quantity of Class A drugs including crack cocaine and heroin and more than £60,000 in cash at Ahmed’s address on Stevedore Street.

Detective Inspector Sam Bennett, from Op Yamata, said: "My team seized a number of devices from Ahmed. On examination my officers found a video of Ahmed proudly bragging to an unknown passenger about his criminal activity, referring to himself as 'Pablo' and running the streets.

"Drugs are inextricably linked to violence and misery on our streets. They blight communities and ruin lives. To see Ahmed talk so casually and proudly about his involvement is a concern but it also motivates us and makes us even more determined to bring people like him to justice.

"Thanks to my officers and their hard work and diligence, Ahmed now has even more in common with his famed idol – a significant jail sentence."Officers found Ahmed concealed more than £600,000 of illicit cash through his business accounts. Detectives from the Met's Economic Crime Unit are now working to retrieve this under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

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