Spanish links to

COSTA KILLINGS

- By Richard Elias and Gerard Couzens

CLAIMS by Spanish authorities that the double murder of two gangsters in a bar is directly linked to an ongoing underworld feud in Scotland were last night vehemently denied by police here.

The allegation of a direct link was made by the detective in charge of tracking down the killer of Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jr.

But last night, Police Scotland doubled down on its initial claim that the killings are not linked to the current underworld war, saying “We have no current evidence that this incident was orchestrated from Scotland.”

Monaghan and Lyons Jr were gunned down almost three weeks ago in a Fuengirola bar after they had watched the Champions League final. Initially, it seemed their deaths must be linked to the current feud back in their native Scotland.

Both victims were high-ranking members of the Lyons north Glasgow-based crime family who, for the past two decades, have been at war with enemies, the Daniel clan.

But within days of their murders, Police Scotland formally ruled out any link between the killings and the feud that has resulted in a series of drive-by shootings, firebombings and machetes attacks across the country.

A statement read: “The investigation into the fatal shootings in Fuengirola is being carried out by Spanish police.

“Police Scotland is supporting Spanish police where requested, however, at this time we have no officers deployed within Spain. There is currently no intelligence to suggest the deaths of these two men in Spain are linked to the recent criminal attacks in Scotland.

“Any speculation linking the events is not helpful to the ongoing investigations in either country. There is nothing to suggest that the shooting in Fuengirola was planned from within Scotland.”

Last Friday, Merseyside Police, acting on an international arrest warrant detained a man called Michael Riley in connection with the shootings at Monaghan’s Irish Bar on Saturday, May 31.