A DRUG lord who called himself El Shepo after Mexico’s El Chapo has been jailed for 25 years.
Ian Shepherd, 44, was the head of a nationwide drugs ring which flooded the UK with cocaine and heroin.
The dad of three toured the country in a humble £15,000 Citroen Berlingo to meet other dealers and criminals.
He put the van up for sale in 2018 and it was bought by an undercover police officer.
It was found to have a secret hideaway used to stash drugs.
Officers tracked the gang and arrested an accomplice as he tried to hide cocaine and heroin in woods.
A home belonging to Shepherd’s mum-in-law was raided in May 2019.
Drugs, £2,000 cash and a gun linked to him through DNA were found, Manchester crown court heard.
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Analysis of phones showed Shepherd, of Liverpool, had nicknamed himself El Shepo.
He initially denied conspiracy to supply — plus the gun and explosives offences — but changed his plea two weeks before trial.
Shepherd got involved in the gang as a way to fund a house, the court heard.
Cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, 64, was recaptured in 2016 and extradited to the US where he is serving a life sentence.
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