Shameless drug dealer, 28, who paraded his wealth by pouring champagne over Rolex watches is jailed for 15 years after trying to hide his illicit activities on encoded EncroChat app

• Mansoor Kiani, 28, from Luton, was jailed for 15 years and six months on Friday
• He tried to hide his drug-dealing activities by using a encrypted phone system
• Flaunted wealth pouring champagne over Rolex watches in Knightsbridge club

A drug dealer who flaunted his wealth selling heroin and cocaine by pouring champagne over Rolex watches at an exclusive Knightsbridge club has been jailed for 15 years and six months.

Mansoor Kiani, 28, from Luton, tried to hide his drug-dealing activities by using an encrypted phone communication system called EncroChat.

He was arrested in November 2020 after police cracked the system as part of the UK’s biggest ever law enforcement operation by Bedfordshire Police, Operation Costello, which began in spring 2020.

After a three-day trial at Luton Crown Court, he was found guilty of conspiracy to supply and sentenced to 15 years and six months behind bars. 

The trial was shown videos of Kiani parading his illicit wealth being driven around in a Ferrari as well as his antics in the London nightclub.

Messages showed the 28-year-old arranging meetings with drug and cash couriers and co-ordinating payments to suppliers, and deciding on codewords.

Investigators seized the servers of encrypted tool which was used exclusively by criminals to communicate with each other.

This allowed the police to see the messages and other media sent between users and in Kiani’s case, conversations between him and others about the distribution of class A substances. 

Mansoor Kiani, 28, from Luton, was sentenced to 15 years and six months in prison at Luton Crown Court on Friday after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs

Kiani was linked to a specific handle, and investigators backed this up by matching the location of his encrypted device to his other, non-encrypted phone as it connected to different mobile phone masts. 

He messaged another criminal associate in central Luton to renew his subscription to the EncroChat platform in one specific exchange of messages.   

Bedfordshire Police’s Operation Costello team is dedicated to tackling major players like Kiani in the drug dealing operations taking place in their county. 

The drug dealer Kiani flaunted his illicitly-gained wealth selling heroin and cocaine by pouring champagne over Rolex watches at an exclusive Knightsbridge club

Kiani was rumbled through operation Costello, where a team of investigators at Bedfordshire Police seized the servers of criminal communication platform EncroChat. Pictured is the footage found on the 28-year-old’s phone of him pouring champagne over expensive Rolex watches in a Knightsbridge nightclub

The trial was shown videos of Kiani parading his illicit wealth being driven around in a Ferrari as well as his antics in the London nightclub

Detective Inspector Tom Stean said: ‘There is no doubt that Kiani was behind the distribution of multiple kilogrammes of cocaine and heroin, something which will have no doubt had a significant and harmful impact across our communities.

‘We know that drugs fuel widespread criminality, from gang violence and exploitation by those involved in importing and selling, to users driven to robbery and burglary crime to raise money to feed their addictions.

‘Op Costello is not looking at street dealers; we are going after the big players involved in fuelling local drugs markets.

‘These individuals are funding lavish lifestyles off the back of violence, exploitation and the misery of others.

‘Kiani’s money was made entirely from illegal activity.

Detective Inspector Tom Stean of the Bedfordshire Police Operation Costello team said: ‘I am sure many others will feel sick watching him parade his wealth in this video, and share my satisfaction that he is now facing a lengthy prison sentence’. Pictured is Luton Crown Court

‘I am sure many others will feel sick watching him parade his wealth in this video, and share my satisfaction that he is now facing a lengthy prison sentence.

‘Unexplained wealth and expensive items bought via cash are key indicators that someone may be involved in organised crime.

‘You can help us catch these people by speaking up and reporting any concerns.’  

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