Spanish police ‘dismantle’ Scottish drugs gang as crime boss arrested

Spanish police ‘dismantle’ Scottish drugs gang as crime boss arrested

Spanish authorities have claimed to have dismantled a drug trafficking syndicate linked to the Lyons family, with the group’s leader, Steven Lyons, captured in the Netherlands following his deportation from Bali. The Civil Guard, a paramilitary force in Spain, announced that the 45-year-old Glasgow-based crime boss was taken into custody on 28 March after arriving in Indonesia from Singapore. His arrest coincided with the detention of his wife, Amanda, in Dubai, as per an Interpol Red Notice.

The operation, named Operation Armorum, has resulted in 14 arrests across four nations, alongside 20 individuals under investigation. A spokesperson for the Civil Guard stated that Lyons is expected to arrive in Spain within two to three weeks, though delays may occur if he resists extradition. The raids, conducted over the past week, targeted locations such as the Costa Del Sol and Barcelona, yielding seized assets including electronic devices, cash, company records, luxury watches, and cryptocurrency wallets.

“We will not allow Indonesian territory, especially Bali, to become a haven or base of operations for international criminals,” said Bugie Kurniawan, head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, confirming Lyons’ deportation.

The Civil Guard emphasized that the Lyons gang has established a sprawling criminal network spanning Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. This includes a sophisticated money laundering system through shell companies and global financial transactions, generating millions from drug trafficking. The statement highlighted the group’s ability to coordinate activities across Spain, the UAE, and Turkey, while forming alliances with other major criminal organizations.

Lyons, head of the Lyons group, has been in a long-standing rivalry with the Daniel gang for over two decades. He survived a 2006 shooting in Glasgow’s Lambhill area, where his cousin died. After relocating to Spain, he later settled in Dubai, connected to the Kinahan crime group. Last May, his brother Eddie Lyons Jnr and associate Ross Monaghan were killed in a Fuengirola bar. Spanish police have charged Michael Riley, 44, from Liverpool, with the murders.

Riley initially contested extradition but agreed to face trial in Spain in October. A Spanish National Police officer noted the suspect was linked to the rival Daniel gang, though Police Scotland insists the killings were unrelated to the ongoing gang conflict and not planned in Scotland.