A protracted gangland war that plagued Scotland has concluded after rival criminal factions reached a resolution, according to police officials.
Chief Constable Jo Farrell announced that the underworld conflict, characterized by numerous murder attempts, shootings, and petrol bombings, has subsided. The violence, which significantly impacted Scotland's Central Belt, began in March of the previous year with the fire-bombing of an Edinburgh beauty salon and escalated over a six-month period, resulting in 84 recorded incidents.
Operation Portaledge was initiated in March 2025 to address a surge in violence between serious organized crime groups. While police efforts, including 64 arrests and the seizure of seven firearms, helped to de-escalate the situation, a brief resurgence of violence earlier this year prompted further police activity. These subsequent incidents led to 10 further recorded events and five arrests.
Farrell stated in an update to the Scottish Police Authority that the cessation of hostilities was attributed to multiple factors, including a "resolution of differences within organised crime." She emphasized, however, that the impact of police efforts to disrupt and apprehend offenders should not be underestimated.
Several high-profile arrests are believed to have weakened prominent gangs in Scotland. Attacks investigated under Operation Portaledge targeted members of the Daniel crime gang, a long-standing rival of the Lyons family. Steven Lyons, identified as the head of the Lyons gang, is currently in custody. He was apprehended in Bali in March, subsequently deported to the Netherlands, and then extradited to Spain.
"The dust appears to be settling on the decapitation of the Lyons’ group," commented former Police Scotland superintendent Martin Gallagher. "Who knows what will come next but the hierarchy that emerges will be one for police in Scotland to continue to fight."
