The criminal is currently boasting that he is like “Pablo Escobar” and “the best in east London” before being jailed for almost a decade for smuggling drugs in the capital and hiding £600,000 in cash

This is the moment a boastful drug dealer compared himself to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar before being jailed for drug dealing in London.

Shahen Ahmed, who “proudly” boasted that he ran the streets of Tower Hamlets, was jailed for nine-and-a-half years after a police crackdown on drug supplies in east London.

The 34-year-old appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on September 13 where he was sentenced for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs.

In June 2022, officers searched two of Ahmed’s addresses and found a large quantity of Class A drugs and over £60,000 in cash.

In a video released by police, Ahmed is heard saying: “10 years in the gutter, curfew, and I’m still rolling like Pablo because.”

In a video released by police, Ahmed is heard saying: “10 years in the gutter, curfew, and I’m still rolling like Pablo because.”

Ahmed compared himself to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar (pictured in 1976)

“There’s only one Pablo out here.” The best of East London – get it? Remember that.’

Officials identified three sophisticated drug lines that operated under the “Killah” banner from December 2021 to June 2022.

Ahmed was arrested and taken into custody. He was later charged and taken into custody.

One of the investigators said afterwards: “Ahmed now has even more in common with his famous idol – a serious prison sentence.”

Escobar was one of the world’s most notorious drug traffickers, known for sponsoring charities and football clubs, and sharing some of his wealth with local communities – evoking comparisons to a Robin Hood figure.

But his cartel unleashed terror across Colombia, murdering thousands and slowly beginning to turn the public against him.

Ahmed’s idol, nicknamed the “King of Cocaine,” was one of the richest criminals in history.

In 1991, he was imprisoned for five years, but reached an agreement with Colombian President César Gaviria not to be extradited.

That meant he was housed in his own home-made prison, La Catedral, from which he escaped and went into hiding a year later, prompting authorities to launch a nationwide manhunt.

In June 2022, officers searched two of Ahmed’s addresses and found more than £60,000 in cash

In 2022 police found a large quantity of Class A drugs at his addresses

United States law enforcement helped the Colombian military and police dismantle his empire before killing him and a bodyguard as they tried to escape across rooftops in 1993, a day after he turned 44.

The court heard that Ahmed was attacked by officers working as part of Operation Yamata, which focuses on dismantling drug supply networks across the city and pursuing those who run them.

Detective Inspector Sam Bennett, of Op Yamata, said: “My team seized a number of devices from Ahmed.”

“During the investigation, my officers found a video of Ahmed proudly bragging about his criminal activities to an unknown passenger, referring to himself as “Pablo” and running through the streets.

“Drugs are inextricably linked to violence and misery on our streets.” They blight communities and ruin lives.

“Seeing Ahmed speak so casually and proudly about his commitment is worrying, 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 famous idol – a significant prison sentence.”

Officers discovered that Ahmed had hidden more than £600,000 of illegal cash in his business accounts. Investigators from the Met’s Economic Crime Unit are now working to recover this under the Proceeds of Crime Act.