Indonesian authorities have delayed the extradition of alleged Scottish crime boss Steven Lyons to Spain for a second day. The 45-year-old, described as a senior figure in an international crime syndicate, was scheduled to be flown to Spain late Thursday night via Doha, after his deportation was postponed on Wednesday without explanation.
Lyons was taken back from the airport into Bali police custody, said Husnan Handano, a spokesperson for Bali’s immigration office. He declined to provide a reason for the move, citing the “sensitivity” of the case. Local media reported that the latest delay was linked to an ongoing police investigation.
Lyons was detained on Saturday upon arrival from Singapore after Indonesia’s immigration flagged him based on an Interpol Red Notice issued at Spain’s request. He arrived with two companions who are believed to be still on the island, although Lyons told authorities he travelled alone, said Bugie Kurniawan, head of the Bali immigration office. Spain’s Interpol has identified them as members of the same criminal cartel but they are not on any arrest warrants or Red Notice.
Immigration and police officials said earlier this was Lyons' second trip to Bali, prompting authorities to believe he was assessing Indonesia's drug trafficking market. Bali Police spokesperson Ary Sandi refused to comment on the investigation. Bali Police Chief Daniel Adityajaya said Lyons’ arrest was part of a joint investigation involving Indonesian, Spanish and Scottish authorities.
Police allege Lyons led a transnational criminal network operating out of Scotland that controlled narcotics trafficking routes between Spain and the UK. Authorities also suspect the group laundered money through shell companies across Europe and the Middle East. Prior to his arrest, coordinated raids in Scotland and Spain resulted in multiple arrests, with additional suspects detained in Turkey, the Netherlands and the UAE.
Scottish media have reported that Lyons survived a shooting in Glasgow in 2006 that killed his cousin, later moved to Spain and eventually settled in Dubai. Last year, his brother and an associate were shot and killed in what authorities described as a suspected gangland attack at a beachfront bar in Fuengirola, southern Spain.
