Steven Lyons head of Scottish crime family arrested in Bali

The head of the Glasgow-based Lyons crime clan was arrested on the Indonesian island by local officers, reportedly on behalf of Spain’s Guardia Civil, reports the BBC.

The arrest follows a series of police raids in Scotland and Spain as part of a two-year investigation into serious organised crime, a probe coordinated with the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA).

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: "We are aware of the arrest of a Scottish nominal in Bali and we are working closely with European partners."

The Lyons crime group is considered one of Scotland’s most dominant organised crime networks and has been embroiled in a violent feud with the rival Daniel clan for more than two decades.

Steven Lyons survived a shooting in 2006 at a garage in Lambhill, North Glasgow, which killed his cousin, Michael Lyons.

Following the attack, Lyons relocated to Spain before later settling in Dubai. He is known to have formed alliances with the Kinahan cartel, a powerful Dubai-based organised crime group.

Lyons reportedly built ties with Daniel Kinahan, the son of cartel founder Christy Kinahan, while living on the Costa del Sol.

Stephen Dempster, producer of the BBC documentary Kinahan: The True Story of Ireland's Mafia, told BBC Scotland's Scotcast that the Lyons group became "bigger and wealthier by tapping into the cartel's global network" by the mid-2010s.

Last May, Lyons' brother, Eddie Lyons Jnr, and Ross Monaghan were shot dead at a beachfront bar in Fuengirola, on the Costa del Sol.

The pair had been watching the Champions League final when they were targeted by a lone gunman.

Michael Riley, 44, from Liverpool, has been accused by Spanish police of the murders.

Although Riley initially challenged extradition, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed in October that he had consented to be sent to Spain to face charges.

A Spanish National Police detective said the suspect was a member of the rival Daniel gang.

However, Police Scotland has said there is no evidence linking the murders to the ongoing gangland feud or suggesting the attack was planned in Scotland.

On Friday, a joint operation between Scottish and Spanish authorities targeted properties in Bellshill, Glasgow, Gartcosh, Whitburn, Caldercruix, Cumbernauld, Coatbridge, Barcelona and in the Malaga area.

Eight arrests were made in Scotland and five in Spain.

Detective Chief Inspector George Calder said that the investigation was focused on high-level involvement in organised crime, drugs and money laundering.

DCI Calder said: "This day of action has been the result of over two years of investigative work that's been carried out diligently carried out by officers not only here, but by other agencies, including the National Crime Agency and the Guardia Civil."

Police Scotland said the investigation began before last year’s outbreak of gang-related violence in central Scotland, which included a series of assaults, shootings, and firebombings.

In March, several properties were set alight in Edinburgh and surrounding areas, with the attacks later spreading west in early April.

In response, Police Scotland launched Operation Portaledge, which has led to more than 60 arrests to date.

The most recent international operation involved support from Europol and law enforcement agencies in the Netherlands, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

Officers in Turkey seized two plots of land, a villa valued at around €600,000 (£520,000), and shares in a company.

Europol confirmed that four Turkish nationals had also given statements as witnesses.