Spanish police say Scots crime syndicate ‘dismantled’ as 14 arrested

Spanish authorities say they have “dismantled” a Scottish crime syndicate operating from the country, following several arrests and the extradition of the group’s alleged leader.

The Civil Guard announced on Thursday the operations of the “Lyons clan” in Spain had been quashed, describing it as a violent criminal organisation.

Steven Lyons, 45, was arrested in Indonesia on March 28.

Spanish police said that over the last week, Operation Armorum has arrested 14 people in different countries.

Lyons was transferred to the Netherlands from Indonesia, where Spanish authorities executed a European arrest warrant.

It is understood another arrest was made at Dubai International Airport on March 28.

Turkish police forces also assisted in the investigation, helping to block high-value assets said to be linked to the Lyons clan in the country.

A total of 18 searches were conducted by Spanish police in Costa del Sol and Barcelona, with money, documents, expensive items, electronic devices and cryptocurrency wallets seized.

The Civil Guard said it worked closely with Police Scotland throughout the process.

A spokesperson for the Civil Guard said: “Over the course of three decades, the Lyons Clan has evolved into a highly sophisticated criminal structure, characterised by the violence of its actions and its international expansion.

“Control of the organisation has been maintained within the family nucleus, with a continuous generational change.

“This operation reaffirms the importance of international police and judicial co-operation as an essential tool to combat criminal networks that operate without borders.”