Scots fugitive jailed for 10 years for drugs and gun offences

Fugitive James White was extradited from Brazil last year

A Scottish fugitive extradited from Brazil has been jailed for almost 10 years for serious organised crime and firearms offences.

James White, originally from Glasgow, pleaded guilty to money laundering, importing millions of pounds of drugs and possessing guns and explosives.

He headed up one of Scotland's most prolific organised crime groups.

The 46-year-old had been arrested in Fortaleza, Brazil, in June 2020 and was sent back to Scotland last August.

At the High Court in Stirling, Lord Colbeck sentenced White to nine years and 10 months in prison.

• Scots fugitive convicted over drugs and gun crimes

• Fugitive brothers may have been killed in Brazil

He said White's crimes involved "a degree of criminality seldom seen by the courts in Scotland".

The judge said he would have sentenced him to more than 15 years if he was not constrained by law.

Operation Escalade, Police Scotland's probe that uncovered White's offences, has seen almost 50 people convicted for involvement in serious organised crime since 2014.

Prosecutor Scott McKenzie said White was a senior member of the criminal group for nearly 10 years.

He said it ran a criminal operation on an "international scale" in countries including Italy, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Brazil.

Operation Escalade uncovered firearms kept by the organised crime gang

Mr McKenzie said one of White's main roles was running the drugs operation and distribution around Europe.

The court heard that White had taken over the group after brothers James and Barry Gillespie disappeared.

Police believe the Gillespies were killed while on the run in South America.

White fled Scotland after police began making arrests during the Operation Escalade investigation.

A European Arrest Warrant was issued for him in 2019.

He was initially caught in Italy in 2020 using a fake passport. But police mistakenly let him go and he escaped to South America.

Tortured for days

He was found again by armed police in Brazil months later using the name Vincent McCall.

White was linked to a £10m cocaine seizure after an HGV was stopped by Border Force officials in Dover in November 2017.

The court also heard that in 2013 White turned on a former friend, Robert Allan, over a £90,000 cocaine debt.

Allan fled Scotland when he was not able to sell the drugs. White helped track him down before other gang members tortured him for days

He was shot in the knees three times before being shoved down a hill in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire.

White was said to have replaced the Gillespie brothers as head of the criminal group

The hearing was also told that White was aware of cars and premises used to hide money and firearms.

These included sub-machine guns, Glock pistols, a hand grenade and £1.7m of cash. Anti-surveillance gadgets were also found.

White was also involved in the sale of encrypted devices for criminals to communicate with each other.

He used an encrypted messaging service to direct operations while on the run abroad. He exchanged 33,000 encrypted texts issuing orders to 70 associates in just two months in 2020.

These included arranging to "petrol bomb" a site in Portugal and later to "slash" someone.

Above the law

He also discussed with his ex-wife that he would return if he made enough money and got a "good deal".

White said: "£10m would be sufficient and doable this year."

Donald Findlay KC, defending, said White was "determined to put his past behind him, and find for himself and his family some kind of future".

He said: "He is an inherently courteous and educated man."

White now faces Proceeds of Crime Act action to confiscate his illegally obtained wealth.

Police Scotland's Det Ch Supt Vicky Watson said: "As part of one of Scotland's most prolific organised crime groups, White thought he was above the law and even fled the country to evade justice.

"The unwavering hard work of our officers, working with partners in this country and abroad, meant that he was extradited to face the consequences of his criminal actions."