Crime war that has gripped Scotland could be over after police swoop on gangsters playground of Dubai

DRUGS KINGPIN ARRESTED

- By Richard Elias

THE man suspected of being the instigator of a gangland war which has engulfed Scotland for months is understood to have been arrested in his Dubai bolthole.

Ross “Miami” McGill is said to have been detained by the authorities in the desert state along with notorious underworld figures Steven Lyons and Steven Jamieson.

They were among five Scots swept up by police during an early-morning raid yesterday. Last night, Police Scotland was remaining tight-lipped about the arrests but the news could not have come at a better time for the force.

Since March, they have been trying to keep a lid on a gang war which has, at times, threatened to spiral out of control.

While it is not known if all or any of those detained will attempt to fight extradition back to Scotland, the fact they are behind bars in Dubai will completely nullify their influence here.

In recent months, law enforcement agencies in the United Arab Emirates have become increasingly willing to assist Western governments in their attempts to locate and extradite expats who have settled in the likes of Dubai.

Previously, there had been a reluctance to do so with the oil-rich nations taking the stance that unless an individual’s action were directly impacting on an Emirate, its people or its economy, then a blind eye would be turned.

As a result, the sun-kissed metropolis became a haven for major organised crime figures, including a number from Scotland.

McGill has been a major target for Police Scotland due to his links to the feud that has seen almost 60 arrests.