59-year-old James “Jamie” Stevenson has been apprehended after masterminding multiple international drug trafficking schemes over the years. In his most recent scheme, the suspect is accused of attempting to plan out the international transfer of over a ton of cocaine from Ecuador to Glasgow Fruit Market in the UK.

This isn’t the first time he’s plotted to bring illegal drugs into the UK. In fact, at one point in time, Stevenson was considered the UK’s most wanted man.

Now, his recent charges could land him behind bars for the next 20 years. According to police investigations, the suspect planned on transporting cocaine with an estimated street value of £76m in hidden boxes of bananas. When the shipments arrived at the Port of Dover, police became suspicious. Investigators spent over three days sifting through countless packages to identify all 119 contaminated parcels containing cocaine in September of 2020.

Police identified the main suspect as Stevenson, also known on the street as “Iceman”. Stevenson had just been arrested in June of 2020 after reportedly attempting to produce and transport about 28 million valium tablets in Kent. When the suspect was arrested for these charges, he was released on bail. While out on release, he fled. That’s when investigators believe he started working on the banana cocaine conspiracy.

In the coming months, more evidence from EncroChat servers revealed that Stevenson was still organizing drug trafficking plots and schemes under ‘anonymous’ online aliases like ‘bigtasty’ and ‘elusiveale’.

These serious of criminal acts finally landed Stevenson on the most wanted list for the UK. in January of 2022. After making a public appeal for information regarding the suspect’s whereabouts, the suspect was spotted jogging in a street in Bergen op Zoom. He was extradited to Scotland to face his charges, where he has been sentenced to serve out 20 years behind bars.

International Drug Trafficking

Most countries have signed major international drug control treaties that outline the types of substances that governments around the world have agreed to prohibit. In general, these substances lack medicinal value, cause addiction, and have the potential to be harmful overall to society.

These treaties typically criminalize the possession, manufacturing, or trafficking of these substances. Since it’s a crime in most countries, it’s typically illegal to transport any of these substances.

Penalties for trafficking drugs range in severity based on the country levying the charges. Some countries still allow the death penalty in 2024 for selling drugs, including some areas like Mexico and the Philippines.

If you’ve been accused of drug trafficking that crossed international borders, then it’s important to hire a global lawyer with experience handling similar situations. The right attorney will guide you through challenging situations like extraditions, trials in different countries, and facing imprisonment or other penalties in a foreign country.

Here at Bukh Global, our team of international lawyers can assist you with criminal charges you’re facing in a foreign country. Contact us now to schedule a free call to talk about what happened.