Police Scotland says violence linked to a quarter-century-long feud between rival organised crime groups in Glasgow has declined after a particularly violent stretch that culminated in a double homicide last year in Spain.
Fatal shootings abroad marked peak of feud
The violence reached a public apex on 31 May when a masked gunman opened fire outside a seaside bar in Fuengirola on Spain’s Costa del Sol, killing two Scottish men. The victims were identified in media reports as 46-year-old Eddie Lyons Jr and 43-year-old Ross Monaghan, the proprietor of the pub where the attack occurred.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Monaghans bar, Fuengirola, Costa del Sol |
| Date | 31 May (last year) |
| Fatalities | Eddie Lyons Jr (46); Ross Monaghan (43) |
| Feud | Long-running rivalry between the Lyons and the Daniels organised crime groups |
Grainy CCTV footage published in coverage of the attack shows a gunman approaching the pair, firing at close range. Reports say the shooter fled the scene and was believed to have left the country.
Police note downturn but decline to explain tactics
In an update provided to the Scottish Police Authority, officers reported "a clear and obvious downturn of activity" after what they described as an intense six-month period of assaults and arson across Scotland. Police Scotland attributed the reduction to several factors.
"The cause of that downturn was without question multi-factorial, including the resolution of differences within the serious and organised crime community,"
The force declined to comment on whether it had used mediation or other interventions to influence that change, saying only that it would not discuss investigative tactics publicly.
Experts say pressure, not truce, more likely
Karyn McCluskey, who helped found Scotland's Violence Reduction Unit, suggested the shift in behaviour probably reflects intensified law-enforcement pressure rather than a negotiated end to the feud. She warned that effective organised-crime networks generally avoid conspicuous violence because it draws enforcement scrutiny.
"If you’re a good organised crime group, you don’t commit violence, because that’s just what brings the police d..."
McCluskey’s observation underscores a familiar pattern in serious and organised crime: visible spikes in violence often provoke a coordinated response from police and partner agencies, sometimes resulting in a temporary lull or tactical adjustment by criminal actors.
What remains uncertain
Media accounts and police statements leave several questions unanswered. It is unclear whether senior figures from the rival groups have been arrested, charged or killed, or whether the apparent reduction in attacks reflects a long-term realignment of criminal activity. Police Scotland’s assessment links the downturn to multiple causes, but the force has not disclosed operational details.
- Scale: The feud has spanned about 25 years and involved repeated acts of violence and property attacks.
- Recent pattern: Incidents in the six months before the reported drop included firebombings and other attacks across Scotland.
- Unresolved issues: Authorities have not confirmed whether behind-the-scenes interventions took place or whether the lull will prove lasting.
The killings in Spain brought renewed attention to a domestic criminal conflict with international reach. For law enforcement and communities affected by the feud, the current quiet offers relief but also a reminder that organised-crime dynamics can shift rapidly in response to enforcement actions and internal decisions within criminal networks.
As investigators continue to review the events that led to the cross-border killings and the subsequent reduction in violence, authorities face the challenge of determining whether the decline signals a genuine end to hostilities or merely a temporary pause.
