Taxi Driver Online

Courts seize £750,000 from Scots gangster
‘ICEMAN’ AT CENTRE OF £1m MONEY-LAUNDERING SCHEME
By Lucy Christie

Published: 25/10/2008

One of Scotland’s most notorious criminals had almost £750,000 seized by the courts yesterday.

Gangster James “Iceman” Stevenson, 43, was ordered to hand over the sum at the High Court in Edinburgh after being convicted of money-laundering offences last year.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill welcomed the seizure – one of the biggest confiscations of crime profits made in Scotland.

Stevenson and his henchman, Gerry Carbin, 27, were at the centre of a £1million money-laundering operation smashed by the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency in 2006.

Mr MacAskil said: “The criminal godfathers, their lieutenants and foot soldiers who prey on our citizens should be under no illusion that this government is determined to take their ill-gotten gains off them and put them out of business.

“Those who seek to make money at the expense of hard-working, law-abiding people threaten the framework of our society.”

Stevenson, from Rutherglen, outside Glasgow, and Carbin, from East Kilbride, pleaded guilty to a series of charges relating to concealing and receiving criminal property at the High Court in Glasgow in March 2007.

Using listening devices and hidden microphones planted in their homes, police heard details of a deal to set up a dodgy taxi firm and to buy 55 luxury watches bought for £307,000.

They admitted hiding £204,510 in cash as well as using criminal proceeds to buy the watches.

Stevenson admitted receiving criminal property worth £98,605 and using it to buy 10 Skoda Octavia cars, receiving £389,035 in cash and having a further £5,000 of criminal proceeds.

He was jailed for 12 years and nine months.

Carbin got five years and six months.

They were both described by prosecutors as significant players in the money-laundering business, using funds arising from drug trafficking.

Detective Chief Superintendent Gavin Robertson said: “Today’s decision should send a clear message to organised criminals across Scotland and beyond that law enforcement agencies are committed to working together to dismantle their operations and ensure they pay the price for their criminal activity.”

Solicitor General Frank Mulholland said: “We will continue to pursue assets and profits from crime to inflict long-term damage on serious criminal organisations and on anyone who hopes to fund their lifestyle from crime.”

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Pious claptrap.

Where there's a will there's more cash to be had.

These guys will simply treat this as a hazard of the job. They'll just set about replacing the impounded cash, which they will. Only their enforcement will be even harder.

That's where lives will be lost. I give it two years tops.

I guess we're all supposed to buy into the belief that crime is being fought on our behalf, eh? That incarcerating these guys ends their crime empire?

Anyone really believe this?

Revenge is a dish best served cold, so they say.