A SCOTTISH gangster who was found hiding in Brazil has been convicted of directing and being involved in serious organised crime.
On Friday, James White pleaded guilty to offences including importing and supplying millions of pounds of controlled drugs, possessing firearms and explosives and money laundering at the High Court in Glasgow.
White, 45, will be sentenced at a later date.
The plea comes after White fled Scotland in an effort to “evade justice”.
In June 2020, he was arrested in Fortaleza, a city on Brazil’s north coast after a joint operation between Police Scotland and the Brazilian Federal Police. He was extradited back to Scotland in August 2022.
Officers had been working to catch white as part of “Operation Escalade”, the investigation into one of the country's top-tier and most prolific serious organised crime groups.
READ MORE: Violent organised crime gang infiltrated Scottish town, police say
Police said that, since its inception in 2014, the operation has seen more than 40 people convicted for being involved in serious organised crime.
Head of Organised Crime Detective Chief Superintendent Vicky Watson said: “Tackling serious organised crime remains a priority for Police Scotland. It has no place in society or our communities and underlines our commitment to working with the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to keep the public safe.
“James White thought he could evade justice by fleeing Scotland. However, the diligence of Police Scotland officers, working with partners in this country and abroad, meant that he was tracked down and extradited back to this country to face the consequences of his criminal actions.”
Watson went on: “The dedicated team of officers have been successfully targeting those involved in serious organised crime domestically and internationally for almost a decade.
“A number of the arrests made were only possible due to the support of international law enforcement agencies abroad. This co-operation remains ongoing and I am grateful for the assistance of our colleagues.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here