Crime boss Steven Lyons is set to languish in an overcrowded Spanish jail near Malaga while facing organised crime charges. The 46-year-old was extradited to Spain yesterday, where cops say he is wanted on suspicion of money laundering and membership of a criminal gang. Investigators also claimed Lyons will face questioning over his alleged involvement in a murder in 2024.
Lyons Arrives in Madrid Under Armed Guard
Lyons was handcuffed and frogmarched off a plane in Madrid by armed police. Bodycam footage recorded by Spanish police showed him being bundled into the back of a police car. He was expected to appear at a closed court hearing on June 24 and would have spent the night in a VIP jail north of Madrid.
Transfer to Alhaurin de la Torre Prison
It is understood the Glasgow gangster will then be transferred to the cramped Alhaurin de la Torre nick. The jail has a reputation for being cramped and overcrowded - housing more than 1,500 inmates - many of whom are organised crime members, drug traffickers and money launderers who operate across the Costa Del Sol. Situated around 15km outside of tourist spot Malaga, inmates face rigorous security controls and isolated lockdowns for bad behaviour.
Security and Violence Inside the Prison
Increased security measures have seen K9 units frequently drafted in to conduct searches, while the facility has also been a focal point for testing anti-drone technology to intercept illegal deliveries to the site. Tensions have been rising between lags and prison guards, who say they are under resourced and lack on-site medical coverage. Earlier this year a prisoner bit a guard's hand while being restrained. Another violent incident saw five guards injured after a prisoner refused to take food to his cell during Ramadan. A third incident saw a prisoner punch a guard in the face after he was found with illegal handmade weapons. In 2022 a riot broke out after around 20 prisoners encouraged 60 others to join in. In 2018 two inmates staged an elaborate prison break, sawing through bars and storing knotted sheets ready to go.
Connection to Eddie Lyons Jnr Murder
It is the same jail where Michael Riley, the man accused of killing brother Eddie Lyons Jnr and pal Ross Monaghan outside Monaghan's bar in May last year, was locked up after he arrived on Spanish soil. Riley was recently moved to Teixeiro Prison in Spain’s north-west region of Galicia, a 10.5 hour drive from Alhaurin de la Torre, in anticipation of Steven Lyons’ extradition. The reason for the transfer has not been disclosed although it appears to be a move to curb violence if the two prisoners were to meet behind bars.
Extradition and Arrest History
Steven Lyons had been held in Holland on a European Arrest Warrant after he was lifted coming off of a flight in Bali. He was booted out of Dubai in September last year after authorities in the UAE probed his links to organised crime. He flitted between neighbouring Gulf states before travelling to Bali at the end of March. He attempted to block his extradition from Amsterdam to Spain, with his lawyer claiming his deportation was similar to a 'kidnapping' during a hearing in June. The gangster learned he had lost his bid and would be extradited last week.
Operation Armorum: Global Crackdown
Spanish cops claimed they had 'smashed' the Lyons' operation following the arrest of Lyons and multiple associates of the gang. Officers from the Spanish Civil Guard used battering rams to force entry to multiple properties and businesses in a spate of pre-dawn raids in the Costa Del Sol. At the same time, Lyons' wife Amanda, 38, was held at Dubai’s airport at the request of Spanish police who remain confident she will also end up in custody. A total of 14 of Lyons' foot soldiers were arrested in four countries, with 20 people still currently under investigation. Amongst those arrested in Spain was Lyons’ sister-in-law Rebecca Hayes. The arrests came as part of Operation Armorum, which has also seen police in Turkey locate and freeze high-value assets linked to the Lyons network. Electronic devices, large amounts of cash, company documents, high-end watches and cryptocurrency wallets were also seized as part of the probe. Officers from Police Scotland simultaneously arrested eight men at addresses in Glasgow, Bellshill, Cumbernauld, Gartcosh, Caldercruix, Coatbridge and East Whitburn on March 27.
Raids on Pub Linked to Murder
Police in Spain also carried out a raid on the Spanish pub where Lyons' brother Eddie Jnr and Ross Monaghan were assassinated last year. The Fuengirola pub was one of the 18 places the Civil Guard targeted. The bar reopened under a new name Irish Rovers after the incident, linked by Spanish cops to a turf war between rival gangs in Glasgow, the Daniel and Lyons gangs.
Lengthy Remand Possible
Under Spanish law, suspects can be held for up to four years on remand. Judicial investigations of the sort Lyons is at the centre of in Spain can take several months if not years to complete. It could mean the Lyons crime clan boss may be locked up in prison for years before legal proceedings move forward.
