In a significant development for law enforcement, Amanda Lyons, the partner of high-profile alleged crime boss Steven Lyons, has been arrested in Dubai. Her detention comes just days after Steven Lyons himself was taken into custody in Bali, marking a concentrated international effort against the suspected criminal network.
Sources indicate that Amanda Lyons was apprehended in connection with alleged offences committed in Spain, with her arrest prompted by an Interpol red alert. This latest capture underscores a broadened investigation targeting associates of the notorious figure.
Photo: bbc.co.uk
Transcontinental Crackdown Targets Suspected Crime Network
Steven Lyons, 45, was detained last Saturday upon his arrival at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, having flown in from Singapore. Footage released by authorities showed Balinese immigration officers effecting the arrest.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland confirmed their awareness of the arrest of a Scottish woman in Dubai, stating, “We are working closely with European partners.”
These arrests follow extensive pre-dawn raids conducted last Friday as part of a joint Scottish-Spanish operation. Properties were targeted across various locations, including Bellshill, Glasgow, Gartcosh, Whitburn, Caldercruix, Cumbernauld, and Coatbridge in Scotland, as well as Barcelona and the Malaga area in Spain. The coordinated effort resulted in 13 arrests in total: eight individuals were apprehended in Scotland, and five in Spain.
It is understood that the request for Steven Lyons’ arrest originated from Spain’s Guardia Civil, and he is now anticipated to be extradited to Spain to face charges.
Allegations of Leadership and Money Laundering
Steven Lyons is widely known as the head of the Lyons clan, which originated in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire. The family has been embroiled in a violent and protracted feud with the rival Daniel gang from Glasgow for over two decades.
Photo: bbc.co.uk
Earlier reports this month suggested Lyons had been arrested in Bahrain, mere months after his release from custody in Dubai. However, details of his exact whereabouts remained elusive until his recent arrival in Bali.
In a statement, the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office declared that “intelligence data strongly suspects SL of being the leader of an international criminal organisation.” The statement further alleged his involvement as the “mastermind behind the operation of several fictitious companies and of being involved in money laundering.” Steven Lyons is currently being held at the Bali airport’s detention centre.
A History of Violence and Ongoing Investigations
The Lyons clan has a long and turbulent history. In 2006, Steven Lyons survived a shooting incident at a garage in Lambhill, Glasgow, which tragically claimed the life of his cousin, Michael Lyons.
More recently, in May of last year, Steven Lyons’ brother, Eddie Lyons Jnr, and Ross Monaghan were fatally shot in a beachfront bar in Fuengirola on Spain’s Costa del Sol. The two men were targeted by a lone gunman after watching the Champions League final. Michael Riley, 44, from Liverpool, has been accused by Spanish police of these murders. Despite initially challenging his extradition, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed in October that Riley had consented to be transferred to Spain to face prosecution.
While a Spanish National Police detective initially suggested the Fuengirola suspect was a member of the rival Daniel gang, Police Scotland has consistently maintained there is no evidence to link these murders to the ongoing gang war or to suggest they were planned in Scotland. Police Scotland clarified that the current inquiry predates last year’s surge in gangland violence across central Scotland, which saw a series of assaults, shootings, and firebombings. In response to that period of heightened conflict, the force launched Operation Portaledge, an initiative that has so far led to over 60 arrests.
