One of UK’s most wanted men, known as Iceman, jailed for cocaine banana plot

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. James Stevenson, 59, known as The Iceman, pleaded guilty mid-trial at the High Court in Glasgow to two charges – directing a serious criminal offence of importation of cocaine, and being involved in organised crime through production and supply of etizolam, known as street valium. Fruit market trader David Bilsland, 67, entered a guilty plea to a charge of agreeing to import cocaine and co-accused Paul Bowes, 53, pleaded guilty to being involved in organised crime linked to the production and supply of class C drug etizolam at a string of premises including the Nurai Island Resort in Abu Dhabi, in London and in Rochester, Kent. James Stevenson was sentenced for a plot to import cocaine into the UK from Ecuador Stevenson’s stepson, Gerard Carbin, 44, and co-accused Ryan McPhee, 34, admitted being involved in organised crime through the production and supply of etizolam. Fruit trader James Stevenson, 59, was using crates of bananas to attempt to smuggle cocaine into the UK from Ecuador The court was also told delivery was being arranged of more than 13 million street valium pills and during a raid in Rochester in June 2020, equipment capable of producing 258,000 pills per hour was discovered.