Police Scotland update on shooting of Glasgow pair in Spain

Glasgow Times

4 hours ago

The force was pressed by the media after Spanish police spoke out earlier today, stating the 'gunman' who allegedly shot two members of the Lyons crime group in Fuengirola 'was a member of the rival Glasgow-based Daniel gang'.
Ross Monaghan, 43, and Eddie Lyons Junior, 46, were gunned down at Monaghan's Bar in the Costa Del Sol at around 11.30pm on Saturday, May 31.
Police Scotland update on shooting of Glasgow pair in Spain (Image: SPINDRIFT) Three days later, Police Scotland said there was no intelligence to suggest the deaths were linked to an ongoing suspected 'gangland war' which has resulted in a series of 'violent' incidents across the East and West of Scotland.
However, the Spanish National Police have since stated that Monaghan and Lyons Junior were allegedly 'targeted by a professional killer from the Daniel crime group'.
Now, Police Scotland has acknowledged this statement from the Spanish authorities but says its position remains that there is no current evidence to suggest the alleged attack was orchestrated from Scotland.
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Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said: 'We have been assisting Spanish colleagues with their investigation into the fatal shootings in Fuengirola.
'We are not aware of any current evidence which suggests the deaths of these two men in Spain are linked to the recent criminal attacks in Scotland being investigated as part of Operation Portaledge.
'We are aware of the statement from the Spanish police and, although we cannot comment on an ongoing investigation in another jurisdiction, our position remains that we have no current evidence to suggest that this incident was orchestrated from Scotland.
'We are aware of the arrest of an individual in the Merseyside area and will continue to support colleagues in Spain where necessary and if required by them.'
Operation Portaledge is the ongoing investigation into 'violent' incidents which have taken place across the Central Belt of Scotland in recent months.
We previously reported that Chief Superintendent Pedro Agudo Novo, head of the Malaga provincial judicial police unit, had spoken out at a press conference in the city on Tuesday.
The senior officer said the alleged attack had been carried out with a 'high degree of professionalism'.
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Chief Superintendent Agudo Novo described the alleged suspect as an 'internal member of the rival Daniels gang' who had reportedly 'meticulously' planned the shootings.
He told reporters Lyons Junior had been shot while he sat at a table outside the bar, but the gunman's weapon reportedly jammed, allowing Monaghan to attempt to escape inside the bar.
However, he is said to have been pursued and shot.
The alleged gunman is said to have fled the scene using a route which included a train tunnel, where there were few security cameras.
Chief Superintendent Agudo Novo added that the alleged gunman fled to Portugal from Spain by land, before boarding a flight to Leeds.
He is then reported to have changed addresses three times on his return to England before being tracked down in Liverpool under an international arrest warrant.
Investigators said they believe he was preparing to flee the UK for a 'paradise island' where no extradition treaty was available, but they did not disclose the exact location.
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Chief Supt Agudo Novo said: "The double murder was carried out by a professional killer and member of one of the victims' rival gangs.
"In this case, we're not talking about an independent hired killer but an internal member of the rival Daniels gang who ends up assassinating two members of an enemy gang."
Detectives in Spain said they were hopeful of making further arrests but believed the alleged gunman had 'acted alone'.
Chief Inspector Juan Antonio Sillero, from the specialist Udyco Costa Del Sol police unit, which also led the operation to track down the alleged suspect, said he believed both Monaghan and Lyons Junior 'were the intended targets'.
Spanish police have not yet formally named the suspect, a 44-year-old man, but did acknowledge he was 'English, not Scottish'.
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The Spanish authorities have requested his extradition after he was arrested by Merseyside Police in the Liverpool area on Friday.
We previously reported that a spokesperson for Merseyside Police confirmed a man had been arrested in connection with the shooting.
The 44-year-old, from Merseyside, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on June 14 to start extradition proceedings to Spain.
It is understood that the man was taken into custody under an international arrest warrant issued by the Spanish authorities.
He has been remanded in custody to appear in court at a later date.