**One of the UK’s most wanted men jailed for cocaine banana plot**
**Byline: The Independent Staff Writer**
A notorious figure dubbed as “The Iceman,” who was one of the UK’s most sought-after criminals, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement in a sophisticated drug trafficking scheme. James Stevenson, 59, pleaded guilty midway through his trial at the High Court in Glasgow for orchestrating a plan to smuggle £76 million worth of cocaine from Ecuador into the UK concealed within shipments of bananas.
Apart from the charge of directing the importation of cocaine, Stevenson also faced allegations of engaging in organised crime related to the production and distribution of a drug called etizolam, commonly known as street valium. Alongside Stevenson, four other accomplices who admitted to their roles during the trial are awaiting their sentencing.
The court proceedings revealed that Border Force officials intercepted 18 banana shipments destined for Glasgow Fruit Market between May and September 2020, each containing cocaine with a purity level of 73%. The total weight of the illicit substance amounted to nearly a tonne, with an estimated street value of £76 million.
Among the individuals implicated in the drug trafficking operation were fruit market trader David Bilsland, who confessed to agreeing to import cocaine, and Paul Bowes, who pleaded guilty to participating in organised crime activities linked to the production and distribution of etizolam across various locations, including Nurai Island Resort in Abu Dhabi and premises in London and Rochester, Kent.
Stevenson’s stepson, Gerard Carbin, and another co-conspirator, Ryan McPhee, also acknowledged their involvement in organised crime activities related to the production and distribution of etizolam. The elaborate scheme was uncovered by French law enforcement officers who managed to infiltrate the encrypted communication network EncroChat in April 2020.
Furthermore, vehicle recovery firm owner Lloyd Cross, who had previously admitted his role in the conspiracy, is scheduled to receive his sentencing. The court heard details of clandestine meetings between Stevenson, Bilsland, and Cross to plan the operation, including the utilization of recovery vehicles to transport cash and drugs.
The investigation also unveiled plans for the distribution of millions of street valium pills, with evidence discovered during a police raid in Rochester indicating large-scale pill manufacturing capabilities. Stevenson, who had evaded authorities by fleeing to the Netherlands, was eventually apprehended in 2022 and extradited back to the UK. Notably, both Stevenson and Carbin had served jail time in 2007 for prior involvement in organised crime.
The National Crime Agency identified Stevenson as one of the UK’s most wanted criminals, underscoring the significance of his capture and subsequent conviction in dismantling a major drug trafficking network. The sentencing of these individuals serves as a significant milestone in combating transnational drug smuggling operations and upholding the rule of law.