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

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

Spanish authorities claim to have dismantled a drug trafficking network headed by the Lyons family, with key figures apprehended across multiple nations. A statement from the Civil Guard revealed that Steven Lyons, a prominent Scottish criminal, was detained in the Netherlands following his deportation from Bali. The 45-year-old Glasgow-based leader arrived in Indonesia from Singapore on 28 March, where he was captured on the same day his wife, Amanda, was arrested in Dubai.

The operation, named Operation Armorum, has led to 14 arrests spanning four countries, alongside 20 individuals under scrutiny. Spanish police expect Lyons to enter the country in two to three weeks, though delays could occur if he opposes extradition. The Civil Guard emphasized that the gang’s activities in Spain have been fully disrupted, citing 18 raids conducted in the past week, primarily in the Costa Del Sol and Barcelona.

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

Lyons, who holds an Interpol Red Notice, was linked to a sprawling criminal network spanning Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The Civil Guard highlighted a sophisticated money laundering scheme involving shell companies and cross-border financial transactions, generating millions in illicit proceeds from drug trafficking. The organization’s ability to operate across Spain, the UAE, and Turkey, while forming alliances with other gangs, has established it as a major force in European organized crime.

The arrests followed a three-year investigation in partnership with Police Scotland. Lyons, the head of the Lyons group, has been embroiled in a longstanding rivalry with the Daniel gang for over two decades. In 2006, he survived a shooting at a Lambhill garage in Glasgow, where his cousin perished. He relocated to Spain before settling in Dubai, where he is connected to the Kinahan crime group.

His brother, Eddie Lyons Jnr, and associate Ross Monaghan were fatally shot in a Fuengirola bar on the Costa del Sol in May. Spanish police have charged Michael Riley, 44, from Liverpool, with the murders. Riley initially resisted extradition but later agreed to stand trial in Spain. Police Scotland clarified that the killings are not tied to the ongoing gang war or planned from the UK.