Spanish police ‘dismantle’ Scottish drugs gang as crime boss arrested
Spanish police ‘dismantle’ Scottish drugs gang as crime boss arrested
Operation targets European and Asian networks
Spanish authorities claim they have dismantled a drug trafficking operation led by the Lyon family. A statement from the Civil Guard noted that Steven Lyon, a prominent Scottish criminal, was apprehended in the Netherlands following his deportation from Bali. The 45-year-old Glasgow-based figure was captured in Indonesia after arriving from Singapore on 28 March.
The agency reported 14 arrests across four nations, with 20 individuals currently under investigation. A spokesperson for the Civil Guard indicated Lyon is expected to arrive in Spain within two to three weeks, though delays could occur if he resists extradition. Lyon had been listed on an Interpol Red Notice, and his arrest coincided with the detention of his wife, Amanda, in Dubai.
“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 Lyon’s deportation.
Operation Armorum, which has also led to the freezing of assets in Turkey, marks the culmination of a three-year investigation between Spanish and Scottish police. The Civil Guard, a paramilitary force handling serious crime, described the operation as involving 18 raids, primarily on the Costa Del Sol and Barcelona, during which electronic devices, cash, company files, luxury timepieces, and cryptocurrency wallets were confiscated.
A global criminal network
The statement highlighted Lyon’s gang as having built a sophisticated money laundering system across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It explained that the group’s operations span multiple countries, including Spain, the UAE, and Turkey, and that it has formed alliances with other major criminal organizations.
Lyon, who heads the Lyon group, has been embroiled in a rivalry with the Daniel gang for over two decades. In 2006, he survived a shooting in Glasgow’s Lambhill area, while his cousin perished. He relocated to Spain before settling in Dubai, where he is connected to the Kinahan crime group.
Recent violence and legal actions
Lyon’s brother, Eddie Lyon Jnr, and his associate Ross Monaghan were killed in a Fuengirola bar last May. Spanish police have accused Michael Riley, a 44-year-old from Liverpool, of the murders. Riley initially contested extradition but later agreed to be transferred to Spain for trial.
Following the double shooting, a Spanish National Police detective suggested Riley was linked to the rival Daniel gang. However, Police Scotland has stated there is no evidence the killings in Spain were connected to the ongoing gang conflict or planned in the UK.
