Heaton coke conspirator who fled to Tenerife to avoid arrest is jailed for 12 years
by Sophie Doughty · ChronicleLiveA coke supplier who fled to Tenerife to avoid being arrested has now been locked up.
William Ions, was snared after detectives used intelligence from encrypted messages to link him to the supply of Class A drugs in the North East.
The 53-year-old, of Wills Mews, in Heaton, Newcastle, had suspicions he was due to be arrested and fled to Tenerife to try and evade police, according to the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU). However, NEROCU officers, with help from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Spanish authorities, were able to get him extradited back to the UK in July.
Once back on British soil Ions was arrested and charged. He pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine and six counts of money laundering at Newcastle Crown Court in August. And on Friday he was sentenced to a total of 12 years behind bars.
Det Insp Simon Drenon, of the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “This is a superb result following tireless work from our officers who remain dedicated to identifying and disrupting these illegal drug operations. Ions knew his guilt and thought fleeing the country would protect him from justice – we’ve demonstrated this isn’t the case.
Keep up to date with all the latest court news from the North East with our free newsletter
“This case and sentencing serves as the latest warning to anyone who believes they can mask their illegal offending by using encrypted messaging application methodology. We’ll find you and ensure you have your day in court as part of our ongoing regional clampdown on organised crime. We urge the public to report any suspicions they may have about drug supply, the damage to vulnerable people and our communities is devastating but together we can protect others and pursue those responsible.”
And Neil Keeping, NCA Regional Manager for Spain, added: “William Ions thought he could escape justice by fleeing the UK and hiding abroad. He was mistaken. Through the intense efforts of the Spanish National Police and our overseas officers, he was traced to Tenerife and arrested earlier this year.
“This case is further proof that there is nowhere for British fugitives to hide. Working alongside our international law enforcement partners, we are committed to tracking down offenders on the run and returning them to the UK to face charges.”
Join our WhatsApp communities
ChronicleLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our communities.
We have a number of communities to join, so you can choose which one you want to be part of and we'll send you the latest news direct to your phone. You could even join them all!
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press 'join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
Join the ChronicleLive Breaking News and Top Stories community
Join our Court & Crime community
Join the Things to do in Newcastle and the North East community
Join our Northumberland community
Join our County Durham community
Join our Great North Run community