By PAUL O’DONOGHUE, Senior Corresponent
ALLEGED Scottish gang figure and Kinahan cartel ally Steven Lyons has been arrested in the Netherlands and is suspected of involvement in laundering more than €30 million.
Spain’s Civil Guard said officers arrested Lyons, 45, after authorities deported him from Bali on Tuesday. Indonesian officials detained him on 28 March after he arrived from Singapore. Investigators reportedly estimate the criminal network he is allegedly linked to laundered more than €30 million.
Multiple media outlets have reported that the Lyons crime gang have strong ties with the Kinahan Cartel, a notorious Irish crime gang.
The Civil Guard said it has “dismantled” the group’s operations in Spain after a three-year investigation with Police Scotland. Officers arrested 14 people across four countries and placed a further 20 under investigation.
The Civil Guard said the group allegedly ran “a complex money laundering network based on shell companies and international financial transactions, managing millions of euros derived from drug trafficking.”
It added: “Its ability to operate simultaneously in several countries – including Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey – and to forge alliances with other major criminal networks, solidified the clan’s position as one of the most significant players in contemporary European organised crime.”
Steven Lyons arrest and police raids
The arrests form part of Operation Armorum. Turkish authorities also identified and froze high-value assets linked to the network. Officers carried out 18 raids in the past week, mainly on the Costa del Sol and in Barcelona.
They seized electronic devices, large amounts of cash, company records, high-end watches and crypto wallets.
Authorities previously placed Lyons on an Interpol Red Notice. Police detained him on the same day that officials arrested his wife, Amanda Lyons, in Dubai.
A Civil Guard spokesperson said that Lyons could arrive in Spain within two to three weeks. However, the process may take longer if he contests extradition.
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