Crime boss Jamie “Iceman“ Stevenson was told how his worldwide drug smuggling ring would rake in “life-changing” amounts of cash before his trafficking operation was uncovered by police.
Stevenson returned to court on Monday as prosecutors revealed the scale of the huge trafficking operation.
The 59-year-old had last week pleaded guilty to trying to import £76m of cocaine from Ecuador stashed inside boxes of bananas before the haul was intercepted by law authorities in Dover.
Stevenson was also in charge of a street Valium “pill factory” which a judge heard could churn out 250,000 tablets an hour.
The gangster was joined at the High Court in Glasgow with five associates who also admitted involvement.
Glasgow Fruit Market Ltd: Business was front for trafficking
STV NewsProsecutor Alex Prentice KC revealed during the hearing – in a 13-page narrative of facts – the inner workings of the gang and how the operation was smashed when the law authorities hacked into the EncroChat phone network favoured by criminals.
Stevenson’s right-hand man in the cocaine operation was 32-year-old convicted criminal Lloyd Cross.
Glasgow Fruit Market Limited owner David Bilsland, 67, was used to try and give the drug trafficking a legitimate front.
Stevenson used the nicknames “elusiveale” and “bigtastey” on EncroChat.
Cross had the username “shaggygoat”. Bilsland was known as “trendymutant”.
Mr Prentice said: “Messages show Stevenson discussing with Cross the importation of kilo blocks of cocaine, the use of Bilsland and his business experience and contacts to provide an appearance of legitimacy.”
Bilsland mainly dealt with Cross on EncroChat, who passed on his boss Stevenson’s “instructions”.
STV NewsStevenson and Bilsland were then clocked by Spanish police meeting at a hotel in Alicante on Valentine’s Day 2020.
“The operation, as it developed, involved cash being provided by Stevenson, Cross and others to fund Bilsland’s apparently legitimate imports,” Mr Prentice said.
There were texts between Stevenson and Cross discussing the set-up.
To keep at arm’s length, Bilsland was to be removed as “company director”.
A person described as a “vulnerable individual” in England was instead duped to give his signature to be registered as a director.
STV NewsCross texted Bilsand: “How you getting on with the new director?”
He replied: “Hi mate. All good. No issues. Next stage this week is contact, which we are working on today.”
Stevenson then told another associate that he had “bought the wee guy’s company” before sending a photo of the Glasgow Fruit Market website.
“In a further discussion, Stevenson discussed the ‘wages’ he expected to receive from the importation arrangement,” Mr Prentice said.
Regarding the illegal riches he would rake in, Stevenson was told: “That’s life changing work.”
Recovery truck used to transport dirty cash
Police ScotlandThe court heard Stevenson and Cross had a number of clandestine meetings near the latter’s home.
Cross went on to text an associate: “So its sending from Ecuador and its in bananas.
“The company its coming from are like blue chip fruit wise.”
Cross used transport from his vehicle recovery firm to collect and deliver cash used to fund the operation.
Cross told Stevenson at one stage: “We can send on our trucks to meet your guy.
“If he leaves the doe in the van we will take it away for a pretend service then bring it back the next day if that is suitable?”
At one stage, a Glasgow Fruit Market van was picked up by Cross’s LM Recovery and dirty cash hidden inside. Bilsland was later spotted collecting a box from this vehicle.
The court heard Stevenson and Cross became wary of customs checks on the banana consignments.
Bilsland tried to ease fears stating to Cross: “I am on it. Keep you posted.
“Like I said, first one wil always get looked at. So expect a delay.”
He later said there were “lots of wee issues” adding: “But, that’s what I am here for.”
Bilsland said: “I am very happy with the plan so far. Let me know it that is okay with you.”
Cross replied: “All sounds absolutely perfect mate. You are doing some top work.”
Bilsland said: “Thanks. You too. We are all a team. Will give you update on Tuesday. Have a good weekend.”
Mr Prentice said: “The messages indicate that one of Bilsland’s primary roles was to engage in communication with the shipping lines, port authorities and others involved in the logistics of legitimate importation.”
Witnesses reported dealing with a “Gordon Stevens” from the Glasgow Fruit Market – the firm, however, had no one by that name.
£76m banana boxes drugs bust
COPFSThe bust at Dover occurred in 2020.
“There were 18 banana consignments received in Dover,” Mr Prentice said.
“The eighteenth – received on September 21 – was searched by UK Border Force officers and revealed packages of cocaine concealed within.”
Officers uncovered a total of 119 foil packages each containing eight blocks of cocaine.
The drugs had a purity as high as 73%.
“The total value of cocaine is assessed to be in the region of £38m on a ‘wholesale’ basis,” Mr Prentice said.
“If adulterated and subdivided into the smallest commonly sold quantity, the cocaine recovered would have the potential to realise in the region of £76m.”
After the Dover bust, the home of Bilsland and other addresses connected to Glasgow Fruit Market were raided.
Bilsland told police: “I know what it is about.”
He stated to a colleague that he had been “stupid” and was “going to jail for a long time”.
COPFS
COPFS‘Pill factory’ uncovered in Kent
Mr Prentice went on to detail how the “pill factory” in Rochester, Kent was also raided by the authorities.
Stevenson – via EncroChat – was shown offering “large quantities” of street Valium for sale.
He told one user: “Enough for over year supply”.
Bowes used the name “hollowbutter”.
Paul Bowes, 53, was a trusted member of the gang and told Stevenson how he had taken in delivery of 4.3 million pills with a couple of tubs damaged in transit.
“Stevenson arranged customers for the onward sale of the pills which Bowes had taken delivery of,” Mr Prentice said.
Stevenson also recruited stepson 45-year-old Gerard Carbin. He was known as “lucidfudge” on EncroChat.
He was involved, at one stage, in the sale of one million street Valium before Stevenson asked him to “do job London making pills” taking “six weeks max”.
Stevenson later sent a text how “200kg” of Etizolam was to be ferried by train to the UK.
There was also reference to a “pressing machine” used to help produce and make the pills.
Ryan McPhee, 34, was meantime used to deliver or “stash” drugs including transporting 2.5m tablets.
Police ScotlandCarbin later told McPhee that “we have the full job going forward”.
“McPhee asked how many pills that would entail,” Mr Prentice said, “Carbin replied: ’10 million per time’.”
McPhee was then told there would be “wages” of £1,000 per one million tablets.
Stevenson and Carbin met at a flat in London in late April 2020.
“Stevenson invited another EncroChat user to come to London to take part in the operation,” Mr Prentice.
“Stevenson advised he thought there was ’35 mil to be made’ and suggested that would result in a wage of £105,000 for this individual.”
The Metropolitan Police and the National Crime Agency went on to raid the pill factory on June 12, 2020.
The officers found machinery that could produce 258,000 pills per hour. There were also pallets of boxes filled with tubs of pills.
“In total, approximately 13,462,000 Etizolam tablets were recovered,” said Mr Prentice.
“Experienced officers familiar with the illicit drug market assess that tablets of that quantity would have a wholesale value of £403,860.”
But, the potential value to the Stevenson and his gang would be much higher.
Stevenson’s arrest
Stevenson was arrested on the same day in Glasgow.
A panicked Carbin sent messages via EncroChat to have all Stevenson’s devices to be “wiped”.
He was also worried that having recently spent time in London with Stevenson he would also be arrested.
“He also exchanged messages with Bowes discussing the extent of the police activity in England,” said Mr Prentice.
“Bowes advised that the ‘hole set up’ had bene taken by the police.
“Bowes commented that he had ‘paper’ and ‘other stuff’ which now needed to be moved.
“He expressed concern that the flat the group had used in London ‘leads straight back to me’.
Stevenson was initially arrested after a police raid on the pill factory, however, he was granted bail and was able to leave the country.
Mr Prentice told the court at a previous hearing: “I understand he was arrested in February 2021 while he was out jogging in the Netherlands.”
Bowes was apprehended in Spain in April 2022 and has been held in custody since.
Guilty pleas
Stevenson pled guilty to directing others to commit a serious offence and being involved in serious organised crime while Bilsland admitted being involved in the cocaine smuggling.
Carbin pled guilty to a charge of being involved in serious organised crime involving etizolam between March and June 2020.
McPhee as well as Bowes – who has previous convictions for counterfeiting and road traffic matters – also pled guilty on identical terms.
Cross – who was sentenced to five years for aggravated assault in 2013 – also pled guilty to being involved in serious organised crime.
The hearing was shown a three minute video of a raid on Stevenson’s pill factory.
Officers conducting the search wore white protective clothing, gloves and face masks.
The footage showed the warehouse contained forklifts, pallets, machinery, boxes as well as an air tank.
Some of the doors had padlocks on them which could only be accessed by key.
An image of a tablet making machine was then shown to the court which had residue on the conveyor belt.
Stevenson’s KC Thomas Ross told the court: “I will give my mitigation at the adjourned diet for sentencing.”
The other defence counsel also made similar motions to the court.
Mr Prentice had earlier lodged a motion for a confiscation order as well as a serious crime prevention order.
He said: “I don’t doubt there will be exchanges before an agreement can be reached.”
Sentence was further deferred until next month by Judge Lord Ericht.
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