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A violent gangland feud that spanned six months has been brought to a close following numerous arrests and an agreed resolution between the opposing groups, according to police reports. The conflict began in Edinburgh in March last year and quickly escalated, resulting in a series of fires and attempted murders across the Scottish central belt, with a total of 84 recorded incidents. Earlier this year, the gang violence briefly resurfaced, prompting additional incidents and further police action.
In a report submitted to the Scottish Police Authority, Chief Constable Jo Farrell described the situation as “a deeply concerning war between rivals,” which eventually subsided due to a combination of factors. She emphasized that the feud spread “the length and breadth of the country” before there was a noticeable decline in violent activity. The report attributes this reduction to multiple causes, including the resolution of disputes within the organised crime community, as well as the significant efforts of Police Scotland and partner agencies to disrupt and deter those involved.
According to media accounts, the conflict originated from a falling out between Ross McGill, former leader of the Rangers Football Club supporters group, the Union Bears, and Mark Richardson, a convicted drug dealer currently imprisoned in Edinburgh. Police responded to 84 episodes involving violence and disorder, arrested 64 individuals, and carried out 55 search and arrest warrants. During these operations, seven firearms and various other weapons were seized, while over 90 safeguarding plans were implemented to protect vulnerable people caught up in the feud. Legal proceedings related to Operation Portaledge have resulted in several long prison sentences, including Arran Reid’s eight-year and four-month imprisonment following his admission to a machete attack on a businessman connected to Richardson.
Further court actions included the jailing or detention of four men for a combined 25 years due to fire-raising attacks in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The judge, Lord Mulholland, condemned the criminal behavior by stating: “Gangsterism is never acceptable in a civilised society.” Additionally, a man responsible for petrol bombing a beauty salon in Edinburgh at the start of the feud received a sentence of seven years and four months. Despite a period of calm, gang-related violence flared once more in January and February of this year, leading to ten additional incidents and five more arrests, with investigations continuing. Among those arrested last September was Ross McGill, who was detained in Dubai, although his current status remains unclear.
The feud, investigated under Operation Portaledge, also involved attacks on members of Glasgow’s Daniels crime group, longstanding rivals of the Lyons gang, whose violent rivalry has spanned over two decades. In May of last year, two senior figures in the Lyons group were fatally shot in Fuengirola on Spain’s Costa Del Sol. Eddie Lyons Jnr and Ross Monaghan were killed in a beachfront bar while in the company of friends and other patrons. Police Scotland clarified that there was no evidence linking these murders to the Operation Portaledge feud or suggesting they had been orchestrated in Scotland. A Liverpool man, Michael Riley, has been extradited to Spain where he faces trial over these shootings. Separately, Steven Lyons, the head of the Lyons crime group, is currently in Spanish custody after his arrest in Bali and subsequent extradition. Spanish authorities allege his involvement in drug trafficking, money laundering, and a murder that took place in 2024
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