Gang Feud Ends Following Police Intervention and Resolution
A property on Edinburgh's Hay Drive was among the initial targets in a violent gang feud that lasted six months, according to police reports.
Authorities have disclosed that a prolonged gangland conflict, which began last March in Edinburgh and extended across the central belt, concluded following numerous arrests and a "resolution of differences" between rival factions.
The unrest involved a series of fire-raising incidents and attempted murders, totaling 84 separate events. Earlier this year, a brief resurgence of gang-related violence resulted in additional incidents and further arrests.
An update submitted to the Scottish Police Authority by Chief Constable Jo Farrell described the situation as "a deeply concerning war between rivals" that eventually subsided due to multiple factors.
Escalation of Violence: Firebombs and Masked Attacks
The feud spanned "the length and breadth of the country," but police noted a "clear and obvious downturn in activity." The report stated:
"The cause of that downturn was without question multi-factorial, including the resolution of differences within the serious and organised crime community.
However, the impact of Police Scotland and partners' efforts to co-ordinate, disrupt and detect offenders cannot be overstated."
Media sources indicate the feud originated from a dispute between Ross McGill, former leader of Rangers Football Club's ultras group the Union Bears, and Mark Richardson, a convicted Edinburgh drug dealer currently incarcerated.
Police responded to 84 incidents of violence and disorder, arrested 64 individuals, and executed 55 search and arrest warrants. They recovered seven firearms and various weapons, and implemented over 90 safeguarding plans to protect vulnerable individuals affected by the conflict.
Several cases from Operation Portaledge have resulted in significant prison sentences. Arran Reid received an eight-year and four-month sentence after admitting to a machete attack on an Edinburgh businessman linked to Richardson.
Forensic officers conducted investigations in Pitcairn Grove, Edinburgh, following the machete attack in May last year.
Four men were sentenced to a combined total of 25 years for a series of fire-raising attacks in Glasgow and Edinburgh. During sentencing, Lord Mulholland remarked:
"Gangsterism is never acceptable in a civilised society."
Additionally, a man who petrol bombed a beauty salon in Edinburgh at the feud's onset was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison.
Renewed Violence and Ongoing Investigations
The report acknowledged a resurgence of gang-related violence in January and February of this year, resulting in 10 further incidents. Police arrested five individuals during this period, and investigations continue.
Four men were jailed for a series of fire attacks, including one involving a Land Rover parked outside a family home in Edinburgh's Morningside.
Ross McGill was among four Scottish men arrested in Dubai last September; however, his current location remains unknown.
Operation Portaledge's investigations revealed that some attacks targeted members of the Daniels crime group, longstanding rivals of the Lyons gang for over two decades.
In May last year, two senior Lyons members, Eddie Lyons Jr. and Ross Monaghan, were fatally shot in Fuengirola on the Costa Del Sol. They were killed in front of friends and patrons at a beachfront bar.
Background on the Daniels and Lyons Crime Groups
The Daniels and Lyons crime families have been engaged in a violent feud for more than 20 years, marked by shootings, murders, and other extreme violence.
Police Scotland stated there is no evidence linking these murders to the feud investigated by Operation Portaledge or suggesting they were orchestrated in Scotland.
Michael Riley, a 44-year-old man from Liverpool, has been extradited to Spain and awaits trial for the shootings.
Steven Lyons, leader of the Lyons crime group, is currently in Spanish custody after being arrested in Bali in March, deported to the Netherlands, and extradited to Spain last month. Spanish authorities have charged him with drug trafficking, money laundering, and an alleged murder in 2024.
