Prison staff are being forced to smuggle weapons and drugs into jails by gangland thugs linked to the warring Lyons and Daniel clans, a whistleblower has told the Record.
The insider said cronies working for the high-ranking crime families have tracked the vehicles of several Scottish Prison Service (SPS) employees, followed them to their homes, and threatened them and their families in a bid to take control behind bars. The bugging incidents are said to have taken place in car parks at HMP Shotts in North Lanarkshire and HMP Addiewell in West Lothian.
Whistleblower reveals tracking and threats
The jail insider, who asked to remain anonymous over fears for his safety, spoke out after the Record reported that maximum-security prison Shotts is at "breaking point" as it is flooded with illegal drugs, dangerous weapons, and mobile phones being smuggled in by organised crime groups.
He told the Record: "Prison officers' lives are being put at risk by associates of the Lyons and Daniels mobs on the outside doing dirty work for mobsters on the inside.
"They're placing trackers on the cars of guards. Once they make their way home, these guys end up finding out where they live. They're targeting them at their home addresses to leverage their threats.
"This is how they are getting their drugs and weapons into jails. Prison officers are being compromised and intimidated into letting this stuff in and if they don't, they're told that they and their families will be put at risk."
Staff too scared to report threats
The whistleblower also explained that staff are too scared to report the threats to bosses, for fear that gangsters will find out. He added: "They're reluctant to report these incidents because they're terrified of the repercussions and what that would mean for them and their loved ones.
"Prison officers are vulnerable to their families being the subject of criminal threats and more needs to be done to address this. The Scottish Government needs to offer up more resources to Police Scotland to tackle the chaos caused by organised crime gangs. Clearly, what is already in place isn't working.
"Guards should be able to go to work to do their jobs without worry their lives are at risk or that criminals will target their families."
Scottish Labour justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill backed the whistleblower's calls for more to be done to protect prison staff. She said: "These concerns must be taken seriously. A clear message must go out to all criminal gangs that the targeting of SPS employees will be met with the full force of the law.
"Prison officers do an incredibly hard job and should not have to experience this kind of targeting. It is imperative that Police Scotland has the resources needed to crack down on criminal gangs."
Rising contraband seizures and sacked guards
Recent figures from the Scottish Prison Service showed there were 549 recoveries of drugs or "illicit substances" - up from 459 in 2024 - 281 mobile phones, up from 253, and 131 weapons, up from 93. Images of recent hauls showed a cache of drones, drugs and mobile phones seized by officers, including iPhones and small 'burner' phones packaged alongside drugs.
It comes after five Shotts prison guards were recently sacked from the service over allegations of helping to smuggle drugs and phones into the jail. A separate prison insider said the guards were sacked with "no investigation", leaving other members of staff "worried" for their own jobs.
They said: "The five officers were sacked without notice on corruption allegations. The SPS have produced nothing in evidence, just sacked them under suspicion, stating that they have no trust in them.
"They haven't been charged and their devices are still being checked. These guys have been sacked with no investigation."
Shotts jail is home to some of Scotland's most dangerous criminals and underworld figures. Of its 538 inmates, 221 are serving life sentences for murder. Around 660 prisoners in Scottish jails are thought to have associations with organised crime groups. The SPS previously admitted playing "a daily game of chess" to keep rivals apart – moving them from jail to jail.
A large number of the inmates have links to the Lyons and Daniel crime families. Lyons allies are said to make up a large group in Shotts. Lyons family boss Steven Lyons is currently being held in a Spanish prison. It is not known who is running the crime clan following his capture in Bali in March. Last month, the Record revealed that Francis 'Fraggle' Green has taken over control of the Daniel mob following the arrest of his cousin Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel at his Glasgow home in August.
Official responses
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: "Our staff manage a population which is often extremely complex and challenging and their safety and security is always paramount. We have clear procedures in place to encourage staff to raise any concern they may have and ensure they are fully supported in doing so.
"Any concern raised is robustly investigated and allegations of criminality are reported to Police Scotland."
A spokesperson for HMP Addiewell said: "We have no evidence to support these allegations. Maintaining security and keeping our staff safe is our highest priority and we have clear procedures in place for staff to raise any concern they may have. Any allegations of criminality would be reported to Police Scotland."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "As the SPS has made clear, any concerns about the safety of their staff is robustly investigated. We continue to support SPS's hard work to prevent illicit items reaching prisons.
"SPS uses a range of technology and intelligence to do this and continues to work to identify further detection measures."
Responding to the claims the guards accused of corruption were sacked without an investigation being held, a Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: "We expect the highest standards of conduct from our staff. In light of recent events, we can confirm that a number of individuals affected by ongoing police investigations are no longer in our employment."
