Gangland figure Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel has appeared in court charged with organised crime and drug offences. The 46-year-old, understood to be head of the Daniel crime family, appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Thursday, August 27.
Daniel, of Glasgow, was charged with taking part in organised crime and an additional four charges related to being involved in the supply and production of drugs. He made no plea and was remanded in custody while the case was committed for further examination. He will be expected to reappear in court within the next eight days.
Arrested in dawn raids
He was arrested on Wednesday, August 26 following co-ordinated dawn raids in Glasgow. The sting was part of Operation Venetic, a long-running police investigation tackling organised crime gangs. Daniel was cuffed outside his home in the Robroyston area of the city at 6am.
Gordon, meanwhile, was simultaneously snared in Garthamlock. Officers spoke to Daniel at the home before he left the property through the front door. Footage shared by police showed him being frogmarched from the house before being bundled into the back of a police vehicle. A large police convoy was present and officers were assisted by a dog unit.
Police statement and family feud
Assistant Chief Constable David Ferry said: “The Chief Constable has made it clear that those intent on being involved in serious and organised crime will be brought to justice. This enforcement action underlines that commitment. We will continue to take strong action and to use every tool and tactic available to relentlessly pursue those involved in serious criminality who seek to profit from the harm and misery they cause to communities in Scotland.
“We do need the support of our communities to do this. Anyone with information about serious and organised crime is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.”
The Daniel family has been involved in an infamous decade-long feud with the Lyons family to control the drug trade in Glasgow. The rival clans began warring with each other in the 90s after associates linked to the Lyons stole a major stash of drugs belonging to the Daniel family. The conflict was further fuelled by overlapping criminal operations and the Lyons network stepping into Daniel territory in the north of Glasgow. Scores of associates from both gangs have been arrested and killed over the years as the feud rumbled on.
Previous incidents
In March last year, a new gang war kicked off, involving the two crime families and other criminals across Scotland. The violence resulted in scores of arrests and Police Scotland's Operation Portaledge. Steven Lyons, the head of the Lyons gang, was arrested earlier this year and remains in a Spanish jail facing charges related to organised crime. Bonzo's home was targeted in April last year, when the front door was set on fire.
In May 2017, Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel suffered serious facial wounds when he was attacked after a 100mph car chase through Glasgow. Bonzo was in his dark blue Skoda Octavia when he was pursued by two cars in a high-speed chase near the M8 motorway, causing him to stop. He was attacked with bladed weapons at the roadside. A court later heard his car had been fitted with a tracking device. He was left scarred for life.
