A suspect for killing two high-ranking members of a Scottish organized crime gang in a Spanish bar has been arrested.
Arrest Made in Liverpool Under International Warrant
A Source has told Michael Riley, 44, was arrested in Liverpool by Merseyside Police on an international arrest warrant issued by the Spanish police.
Ross Monaghan, 43, and Eddie Lyons Jnr, 46, were gunned down at Monaghans Bar in Fuengirola in the Costa Del Sol on 31 May.
Both men were linked to the Lyons crime family, a large organised crime syndicate operating in the west of Scotland.
Court Appearance and Custody Details
Merseyside Police stated that a man arrested in connection with the shootings had appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday morning.
He has been remanded in custody and will appear in court later. Eddie Lyons Jnr and Ross Monaghan were among friends watching the Champions League final when they were attacked at the bar in the beachfront of the Andalusian town.
Medical Reports and CCTV Footage Detail the Incident
From medical reports, Lyons Jnr succumbed to a solitary bullet wound outside the bar in front of fellow patrons and friends.
CCTV also revealed the gunman chasing Monaghan inside the pub and shooting again, where he left him dead.
Scottish police have been assisting the Spanish authorities with their inquiry, passing on details about the backgrounds of the men.
Police Scotland Rule Out Ongoing Feud Connection
Following the murders, Police Scotland released a statement indicating there was no intelligence to indicate the deaths were connected to a current gangland feud between the east and west of Scotland’s central belt.
Over 40 individuals have been detained after a string of violent attacks, including suspected attempted murders and firebombings.
The force also released a statement to say that there was nothing to indicate the shooting was premeditated in Scotland.
Background: Lyons vs Daniels Crime Family Feud
The Lyons family have been embroiled in an ongoing dispute with arch-rivals the Daniels family.
Monaghan was already associated with the notorious murder of feared Glasgow gangland operator Kevin ‘Gerbil’ Carroll, a guard for the Daniels.
He was charged with the murder at a Glasgow supermarket car park in 2010, but subsequently cleared because of a lack of evidence.
Previous Attacks and Timeline of Violence
Monaghan himself was subsequently shot in the shoulder when he took his daughter to school in Glasgow in 2017. He is thought to have fled to Spain shortly afterwards.
Lyons Jnr was also attacked and injured in a 2006 assault, which was thought to have been carried out by Carroll. The two factions have exchanged a series of violent attacks for some 20 years.
