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Telegraph
18 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
The Scottish ‘tartan turf war' that went global
With a three-hour 'happy hour' and four big-screen TVs, Monaghans Bar in the Spanish resort of Fuengirola is a popular spot for those who like a night of soccer after a day of sun and sand. But on Saturday night, after drinkers watched the UEFA Champions League Final, a showdown of a less sporting sort unfolded outside. Just as the bar was emptying around 11.30pm, a car pulled up outside from which a black-clad gunman emerged. He shot dead the bar's Scottish owner, Ross Monaghan, and his Glaswegian friend Eddie Lyons Junior, before fleeing into the night. The double murder was the latest in a series of recent shootings on Spain's southern coast, long considered the 'Costa Del Crime'. Yet the hit may have been ordered from the rather less balmy climes of Glasgow, where a quarter-century feud between the city's two most powerful crime families is now spiralling out of control. In scenes that resemble an over-hyped episode of Taggart, the rival Lyons and Daniel gangs have been in open warfare for the past three months. Scores of homes and businesses, including garages, cab firms and beauty parlours, have been firebombed. Suspected associates have been attacked with machetes. Masked thugs behind the mayhem post videos of their handiwork online – shattering decades of painstaking PR in which Glasgow reinvented itself as a 'City of Culture'. The so-called 'tartan turf wars' are a throwback to the rougher Red Clydeside movement of the 1960s, when razor gangs terrorised the city. Today's Glasgow hard men, though, wield much deadlier weaponry than long-handled shaving blades, and their fiefdoms are no longer confined to council estates like Easterhouse. Attacks have taken place all over central Scotland, spreading to well-heeled districts of Edinburgh too. The feud reportedly dates back to the Lyons gang stealing a drug stash from the Daniels some 25 years ago, but onlookers fear it has become a battle to master the entirety of urban Scotland's lucrative drug trade. 'These groups have grown obscenely wealthy, preying on communities of very vulnerable people,' says MSP Russell Findlay, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, who says the government has been complacent about the rising threat of organised crime. 'These two individuals who were killed were prominent members of organised crime, and while it's still unclear who was behind their deaths, it seems they are paying the price for the lifestyle they led.' Mr Findlay is well-qualified to comment on the subject, having previously worked as an investigative crime reporter for Scottish TV and tabloid newspapers. In 2012, he wrote a book about the Daniel-Lyons feud, chronicling the misery it inflicted on Glasgow's Milton housing estate, the Lyons' original stronghold. The book's title, Caught in the Crossfire, was to prove horribly prophetic: three years later, Findlay himself was attacked on his doorstep by a knifeman who threw acid in his face. It was the kind of brazen intimidation more associated with Latin American narco-states – something that Scotland will come to resemble if more is not done, he warns. 'I remember thinking at the time: 'Why is nobody else saying enough is enough?'' he says. 'This is what happens when organised crime becomes too powerful: they try to take on mainstream society.' Spanish police have yet to identify the Fuengirola gunman, who some reports claim was a blonde-haired man presumed to be a fellow Scot. Scottish police, however, are likely to have no shortage of suspects already on their files. Both Monaghan, 43, and Lyons Junior, 46, were members of the Lyons gang, and no strangers to the art of the gangland hit themselves. Monaghan had been arrested then acquitted of the 2010 murder of Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll, a notorious Daniel-gang enforcer. He then moved to Spain after being shot in the shoulder in Glasgow in 2017. He and Lyons Junior both also stood trial for attacking three men outside a bar in Dunbartonshire in 2016, the case only collapsing when the alleged victims claimed they had no memory of what happened. Indeed, those caught up in Lyons-Daniel violence have a marked tendency to 'forget' their testimony, much to the frustration of police. One incident that neither gang ever seems to have forgotten, though, is the theft of £20,000 worth of cocaine back in 2001 from a Daniel safe house. Nicknamed 'Morningside Speed' in honour of the posh Edinburgh suburb of the same name, cocaine was then relatively new to Scotland. Previously, heroin had been the drug of choice on impoverished housing estates – courtesy of smugglers like Jamie Daniel, the Daniel-gang founder, who flooded Glasgow with it in the early Eighties. Cocaine, though, was far more lucrative, and the theft of the stash, while relatively small in value, sparked a wider turf war over dealing patches. Escalating the violence was Carroll, who had allegedly been bullied by the Lyons' family during his schooldays, and was now a senior enforcer for the Daniel gang. He was infamous for so-called 'alien abductions', where rivals would be kidnapped, tortured and then dumped semi-naked on the street, too traumatised (or too terrified) to say what had happened to them. Not content with inflicting physical harm, he also vandalised a gravestone for Eddie Lyon Junior's younger brother, Garry, who died from leukaemia aged eight in 1991. Perceived as an outrage even by gangland standards, that act led to Carroll himself being shot dead in an Asda car park in Glasgow in 2010, in full view of horrified shoppers. So reviled was Carroll that police had nearly 100 potential suspects for his murder, and his death might have drawn a line under the feud. But it flared up again in 2016 when Jamie Daniel passed away from cancer – one of the few gang kingpins to die peacefully. His death left a power vacuum, which the Lyons' clan tried to exploit through five attempted murders in just five months. In one particularly savage case, Stephen 'Bonzo' Daniel was hunted down after a 100mph car chase through north Glasgow, before having his face macheted so badly that paramedics thought at first that he had been shot. 'His nose was hanging off on the left hand side near his ear', a policeman told a later trial of six Lyons associates, who were convicted of the five murder plots in 2019. Jailing them for a total of 104 years, a judge told them: 'You sought to turn Glasgow into a war zone for your feud. This is a civilised city, based on the rule of law.' With the violence now flaring up again, many Scots might well doubt that – not least those living in the streets where properties have been firebombed. While the gang kingpins often live in fortress-like mansions, equipped with CCTV, safe rooms and anti-ram-raid bollards, their footsoldiers often live on suburban estates. The precise spark for the latest hostilities remains unknown, although some believe it may be linked to the gangs' growing links to international drug cartels. The Lyons gang is said to have forged close links to Ireland's feared Kinahan cocaine cartel, whose senior members holed up in Dubai after pressure from the Dublin authorities. One Lyons family member has also lived in Dubai since an attempt on his life in Glasgow in 2006, and is said to have formed a 'Celtic cartel' with his Irish counterparts, whereby Lyons street dealers distribute Kinahan-supplied cocaine. Scottish police have already arrested at least 40 people over the feud, while Angela Constance, the SNP Justice Secretary, insisted that law-abiding Scots had nothing to fear. 'Scotland continues to be a safe place to live, with recorded crime down 40 per cent since 2006/07,' she said last month. Critics, however, complain the police service remains underfunded. For Findlay, the problems go even deeper. Far too much of Scotland's establishment, he says, has given the gangs the benefit of the doubt – from the Edinburgh professionals who act as their defence lawyers and accountants, to Left-leaning politicians who see them as victims of social injustice. He remembers how, in the mid-Nineties, Eddie Lyons Senior was given use of a former school in Milton for a 'community project', despite already being well-known to police. Objections, Findlay says, were overlooked by councillors who naively regarded Lyons Senior as a community activist. The centre was later shut down amid complaints it had become a gang hub. But Findlay cites multiple other examples where gangs are still flexing their muscles. In South Lanarkshire, a fellow Tory councillor, Graeme Campbell, quit his role after rows over planning issues led to gangsters attacking his house three times. And at jails across the country, prison officers' cars have been firebombed at least a dozen times. 'You've got attacks on journalists, councillors, prison officers: Scotland's isn't a narco-state, but this is how these things start. And, too often, the SNP's ethos has been to justify and explain, not to punish and deter – it is a social work mentality. The gangs must be rubbing their hands with glee,' he said. Meanwhile, in Spain, there are fears that violence could escalate further and Ana Mula, the mayor of Fuengirola, is calling for more resources to combat organised crime. She said: 'We live in a world and at a time where crime knows no borders. In places like the Costa del Sol, we're seeing developments that, as they spread, inevitable affect us. We need much greater involvement from the state on this issue.' Reports last month claimed the Lyons gang was seeking a truce in the feud. Given the recent events in Fuengirola that now seems unlikely. As Findlay points out, though, Saturday's shootings might not be connected to the Scottish feud at all, but rather the larger, global players that the Lyons gang is now part of. 'It could have been the work of their long-standing enemies in Scotland,' he said. 'But, out in Spain, they are swimming with much bigger sharks – who may be even more ruthless than they are.'
Daily Mirror
18 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Gangsters' chilling warnings after double assassination at holiday hotspot
Gangland associates Eddie Lyons Junior and Ross Monaghan were killed in the wake of a series of suspected turf war attacks that have swept Scotland in recent months Gangster associates of an infamous kingpin pair shot down in a nighttime assassination have issued a chilling retaliation warning. Eddie Lyons Junior and Ross Monaghan were gunned down by a masked assailant while watching the Champions League final in Fuengirola, Costa Del Sol on May 30. The pair, aged 46 and 43, have links to the infamous Scottish Lyons clan, which police have linked to a series of assaults, firebombings and shootings across Edinburgh and Glasgow, alongside the rival Daniel gang. A series of threats have been issued since the shock incident alerting "everyone in Scotland" to plans for a major reprisal. The Daily Mail reports the assassinations over the weekend followed attacks believed to have targeted the criminal empire of two Daniel family members, Mark Richardson, an alleged cocaine trafficker, and his associate Steven "Bonzo" Daniel. Associates of the Lyons have reportedly jumped into action with cocaine dealer Ross "Miami" McGill after Richardson's associates pinched a £500,000 drugs stash. The feud has exploded from there, and, following the assassination, warnings of incoming reprisals have been peppered across social media. Social media posts have called on people associated with the Daniels and Richardsons to "leave Scotland immediately", while others have attempted to call Scots to arms. One social media threat read: "Daniels + Richardsons, every associate, every business will be targeted. Leave Scotland immediately." Another post read: "We are urging everyone in Scotland on the streets and those incarcerated to join us in the fight against Mark Richardson and the Daniels family. "These rats have been thieving for a long time. Its time for people to stand together as one and remove this vermin from our streets." One video posted online showed a series of attacks being carried out on Richardson associates to the tune of the song "Nowhere to run" by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. While the situation appears to have been snowballing in the days following Lyons Junior and Monaghan's killing, police do not believe the assassination was ordered from Scotland. A spokesperson for Police Scotland said there is "no intelligence" suggesting their deaths were related to the "criminal attacks" reported in Scotland. The spokesperson said: "Police Scotland is supporting Spanish police where requested, however, at this time we have no officers deployed within Spain. There is currently no intelligence to suggest the deaths of these two men in Spain are linked to the recent criminal attacks in Scotland being investigated as part of Operation Portaledge. "Any misinformation or speculation linking the events in Spain are not helpful to the ongoing investigations in either country. There is also nothing to suggest that the shooting in Fuengirola was planned from within Scotland."
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
Police say ‘no intelligence' to suggest hit in Irish pub in Spain was planned in Scotland
Police Scotland said the attack that claimed the lives of Eddie Lyons Junior and Ross Monaghan did not appear to be linked with an outbreak of violence between rival gangs in Scotland Police investigating the brutal gun deaths of two Scottish gangsters at an Irish pub on the Costa del Sol have said there is "no intelligence' to suggest the hit had been planned in Scotland. In a statement, Police Scotland said the attack that claimed the lives of Eddie Lyons Junior and Ross Monaghan did not appear to be linked with an outbreak of violence between rival gangs in Scotland. However, sources told Sunday World the hit may be connected with a six-figure drugs debt that the two men owed. Scottish police said the investigation into the fatal shootings in Fuengirola 'is being carried out by Spanish police'. 'Police Scotland is supporting Spanish police where requested, however, at this time we have no officers deployed within Spain,' a statement reads. There is currently no intelligence to suggest the deaths of these two men in Spain are linked to the recent criminal attacks in Scotland being investigated as part of Operation Portaledge. 'Any misinformation or speculation linking the events in Spain are not helpful to the ongoing investigations in either country. 'There is also nothing to suggest that the shooting in Fuengirola was planned from within Scotland.' So far more than 40 people have been arrested in connection with the incidents as part of Operation Portaledge that is investigating a suspected gang feud linked with a number of shootings, fire bombings and assaults in the Glasgow and Edinburgh areas since March. Both men died after a gunman opened fire outside Monaghans Bar in Fuengirola, Malaga on Saturday at around 11pm. One report suggests that a car pulled up outside the bar and a masked man got out before opening fire on the two as they stood outside the venue. The gunman then fled in the car, leaving both men dying at the scene. However, local media is reporting that police are searching for a blond man as the shooter who arrived on foot with his face covered and, after fleeing, got into a vehicle that fled towards Benalmádena . The Forensic Investigation team and the National Police's Organised Crime Unit (UDYCO) are working to identify the perpetrator of the crime and "will find the culprit," according to Javier Salas, the central government's deputy delegate in Malaga. Officers in charge of the investigation are gathering information and evidence from testimony collected on-site and from asking witnesses to come to the police station to confirm their statements, Salas told the Herald of Aragon. They are also attempting to secure security camera footage from where the shooting took place and this will have to analysed, Salas added. The deputy delegate is convinced that the shooter will eventually be identified. "I have no doubt that the person responsible for the two murders, who arrived and left the pub on foot with his face covered, will be identified and located, as happens in 90 per cent of cases that occur in the province of Malaga,' Sala said, according to the Herald. Although Spanish cops are convinced there was only one shooter, the investigation will determine whether there were more people involved 'who could have collaborated with him'. 'However, the available data indicates that only one person entered and shot the two British citizens, who died practically instantly,' the Herald reports. Regarding security, Salas stressed that in Málaga there are "more resources and more police officers than ever before' who have 'the best techniques and the best materials" at their disposal to carry out the investigation and fight crime. Salas stated that the scientific investigation team is "one of the best" in Spain. Several police unions and policymakers have expressed concern about what they consider an escalation of violence on the Cost del Sol. The Spanish Police Confederation (CEP) has claimed "the escalation of violence and the lack of human and material resources' is proof the National Police is "abandoned by the government in the province of Málaga."
The National
2 days ago
- General
- The National
Police Scotland issue statement after fatal shooting in Spain
A gunman fired several shots at Monaghan's Bar in Fuengirola, southern Spain, on Saturday evening, killing Eddie Lyons Junior and Ross Monaghan. Spanish detectives previously said that investigations into the double murder, which took place at around 11.30pm on the day, were ongoing. Now, Police Scotland has confirmed it is supporting Spanish police "where requested". READ MORE: Spain cancels contract for missiles built by subsidiary of Israeli company However, the force stated it has not deployed any officers within Spain. Officers say that there is currently no intelligence to suggest that the deaths are linked to the recent targeted attacks in the East and West of Scotland being investigated under Operation Portaledge. They added that there is also nothing to suggest that the shooting in Fuengirola was planned from within Scotland. READ MORE: John Swinney in final message to voters ahead of Hamilton by-election A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "The investigation into the fatal shootings in Fuengirola is being carried out by Spanish police. "Police Scotland is supporting Spanish police where requested, however, at this time, we have no officers deployed within Spain. "There is currently no intelligence to suggest the deaths of these two men in Spain are linked to the recent criminal attacks in Scotland being investigated as part of Operation Portaledge. "Any misinformation or speculation linking the events in Spain is not helpful to the ongoing investigations in either country. "There is also nothing to suggest that the shooting in Fuengirola was planned from within Scotland."
Scotsman
2 days ago
- General
- Scotsman
"No intelligence" linking Spain shootings to suspected gang feud, Police Scotland say
"Police Scotland is supporting Spanish police where requested.' Sign up to the daily Crime UK newsletter. All the latest crime news and trials from across the UK. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There is "no intelligence" to suggest the deaths of two Scots in a Spanish bar are linked to recent criminal attacks in Scotland's central belt, police have said. The two men, understood to be Eddie Lyons Junior and Ross Monaghan , died after a gunman opened fire outside Monaghans Bar in Fuengirola, Malaga on Saturday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The attack took place at around 11pm , when a car pulled up outside the bar and a masked man got out before opening fire on the two as they stood outside the venue. The gunman then fled in the car, with both men dying at the scene. In a statement released on Tuesday Police Scotland said the attack did not appear to be linked with a series of criminal acts by rival groups in Scotland , and that any speculation to that end was "not helpful" to the investigation. Read more here: Mother jailed after dragging two police officers along Scottish road when she drove off Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The statement read: "The investigation into the fatal shootings in Fuengirola is being carried out by Spanish police. "Police Scotland is supporting Spanish police where requested, however, at this time we have no officers deployed within Spain . "There is currently no intelligence to suggest the deaths of these two men in Spain are linked to the recent criminal attacks in Scotland being investigated as part of Operation Portaledge. "Any misinformation or speculation linking the events in Spain are not helpful to the ongoing investigations in either country. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "There is also nothing to suggest that the shooting in Fuengirola was planned from within Scotland ." Operation Portaledge is investigating a suspected gang feud that has been linked with a number of shootings, firebombings and assaults in the Glasgow and Edinburgh areas since March.
