- Shahen Ahmed, who ‘proudly’ bragged that he ran the streets of Tower Hamlets, has been locked up for nine-and-a-half years following a police operation targeting drug supply
By Grâçia Ada Obi
This is the moment a boastful drug dealer, Shahen Ahmed, aged 34 who ‘proudly’ bragged that he ran the streets of Tower Hamlets, has been locked up for nearly a decade for running drugs in the capital and hiding £600k in cash following a Police operation targeting drug supply in east London, Snaresbrook Crown Court said.
Ahmed appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on September 13, where he was sentenced for being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. In June 2022, officers raided two of Ahmed’s addresses and found a large quantity of Class A drugs and over £60,000 in cash.
In video released by the Police, Ahmed can be heard saying: ’10 years in the gutter, on a curfew, and I’m still rolling like Pablo cuz.
“There’s only one Pablo out here. East London’s finest – you understand? Remember that.’
Officers identified three sophisticated drug lines running under the banner of ‘Killah’ from December 2021 to June 2022.
Ahmed was arrested and taken into custody. He was later charged and remanded.
One of the detectives said afterwards that ‘Ahmed now has even more in common with his famed idol – a significant jail sentence.’
Escobar was one of the world’s most notorious drug traffickers, known for sponsoring charity projects and soccer clubs, and shared some of his riches with local communities – thus drawing comparisons to a Robin Hood figure.
But his cartel unleashed terror throughout Colombia, murdering thousands and slowly began turning the public against him.
Dubbed the ‘king of cocaine’, Ahmed’s idol was one of the wealthiest criminals in history.
He was locked up for five years in 1991, but struck a deal of no extradition with Colombian President César Gaviria.
This meant he was housed in his own, self-built prison, La Catedral, from which he escaped and went into hiding a year later, with authorities launching a national manhunt.
Federal United States law enforcement agencies helped the Colombian military and police tear down 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 targeted by officers working under Operation Yamata, which focuses on dismantling drug supply networks across the city and pursuing those operating them.
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.
