Deportation of Steven Lyons from Bali
One of Scotland's most notorious gangland figures, Steven Lyons, has been deported to Amsterdam, 10 days after his arrest at Bali's airport.
On Tuesday, officers from Spain's Guardia Civil escorted Lyons onto a flight in Jakarta. Lyons, 45, was detained on 28 March shortly after arriving at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on a flight from Singapore.
The crime boss, who was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, was arrested on the same day his wife, Amanda Lyons, was taken into custody in Dubai.
The day after his arrest, Lyons was photographed with his hands bound by cable ties, being led from police headquarters wearing bright orange overalls and a black face mask.
The Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, in coordination with the NCB Secretariat of Interpol Indonesia, confirmed that Lyons was flown from Denpasar to Jakarta on Tuesday. From Jakarta, he boarded a flight to Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands, landing shortly after 10:30 BST.
Spanish reports stated Lyons is currently held in the Netherlands under a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by a judge in Malaga. This warrant initiates the formal extradition process, though there may be a delay before Lyons is transferred to Spain.
In an official statement, the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office described Lyons as a "mafia boss and Interpol fugitive." Bugie Kurniawan, head of the office, said:
This deportation is a concrete step in our commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty. We will not allow Indonesian territory, especially Bali, to become a haven or base of operations for international criminals. Strict immigration oversight is the front line in safeguarding national security from potential foreign threats.
Criminal Allegations and International Operations
Bali police chief Daniel Adityajaya previously informed reporters that Lyons is alleged to lead "a large-scale transnational criminal organisation engaged in drug trafficking and money laundering."
Untung Widyatmoko, secretary of Interpol's Indonesia bureau, stated that Lyons' criminal group operates across multiple countries including Spain, Scotland, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Turkey.
Both Steven Lyons and his wife are wanted by Spanish authorities. The couple previously resided in Spain before relocating to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Their arrests followed a joint Scottish-Spanish operation targeting alleged members of the Lyons crime group. This operation involved simultaneous raids on 27 March in Bellshill, Glasgow, Gartcosh, Whitburn, Caldercruix, Cumbernauld, Coatbridge, Barcelona, and the Malaga area.
Background on the Lyons Crime Group
Steven Lyons is the head of the Lyons clan, which has been engaged in a violent feud with the rival Daniel group for over 20 years.
Last month, reports indicated Lyons had been arrested in Bahrain, five months after his release from custody in Dubai. However, his exact whereabouts remained unclear until his arrival in Indonesia.
Upon arrival, Lyons was stopped in the international arrivals area and handed over to I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport Area Resort Police.
It was later revealed that two associates, Stephen Larwood and an unnamed man, arrived on the same flight but evaded detection at the airport. Larwood had been previously arrested in the Dubai operation targeting Lyons. Both men were released in October and instructed to leave the Gulf state immediately.
Bali police stated that Larwood and the unnamed associate are not listed on the Red Notice but are believed to be members of the Lyons crime group. Their current whereabouts remain unknown.
Following Lyons' arrest in Bali, the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office issued a statement:
Based on intelligence data, SL is strongly suspected of being the leader of an international criminal organisation. He is suspected of being the mastermind behind the operation of several fictitious companies and of being involved in money laundering.
Law Enforcement and Investigation Updates
A Police Scotland spokesperson said:
We are aware of the arrest of a Scottish nominal in Bali and we are working closely with European partners.
In 2006, Steven Lyons survived a shooting at a garage in Lambhill, north Glasgow, which resulted in the death of his cousin, Michael Lyons. Lyons subsequently moved to Spain before settling in Dubai.
Lyons has criminal connections including ties to the Dubai-based Kinahan crime group. He reportedly developed a relationship with Daniel Kinahan, former boxing promoter and son of the group's founder, while living on the Costa del Sol.
Stephen Dempster, producer of "Kinahan: The True Story of Ireland's Mafia," told BBC Scotland's Scotcast that by the mid-2010s, the Lyons group had expanded and increased its wealth by leveraging the Kinahan cartel's global network.
Recent Violent Incidents Linked to the Lyons Group
Last May, Steven Lyons' brother, Eddie Lyons Jnr, and Ross Monaghan were shot dead in a beachfront bar in Fuengirola, Costa del Sol. The two men had spent the evening watching the Champions League final before being targeted by a lone gunman.
Michael Riley, 44, from Liverpool, has been accused by Spanish police of the murders. He initially challenged extradition but the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed in October that he consented to be extradited to Spain to face prosecution.
Following the double shooting, a Spanish National Police detective indicated the suspect was a member of the rival Daniel gang. However, Police Scotland have stated there is no evidence linking the murders in Spain to the ongoing gang war or suggesting the killings were planned in Scotland.
Joint Scottish-Spanish Raids and Arrests
The raids conducted in the early hours of 27 March resulted in eight arrests in Scotland and five in Spain.
On the following Monday, nine men appeared in court as part of the joint Scottish-Spanish investigation into organised crime. Seven face drug charges, while one was charged with conspiracy and assault.
Police Scotland noted that the inquiry predates last year's gangland feud in central Scotland, which involved a series of assaults, shootings, and firebombings.
In March, several properties were set on fire in Edinburgh and surrounding areas, with attacks spreading to western Scotland in early April. Police Scotland launched Operation Portaledge in response, which has so far led to over 60 arrests.
