Mayor demands more resources after two Scots with gang links shot dead in Spain

The mayor of Fuengirola has demanded more resources from Spain’s government after a shooting that killed two Scots with links to organised crime.

Eddie Lyons Junior and Ross Monaghan were gunned down outside Monaghans Irish Bar in Fuengirola, south of Malaga, by a masked assailant who fled shortly after 11pm on Saturday.

The pair have been linked with a violent rivalry with the Daniels organised crime group in Scotland that has been going on for more than two decades.

“We live in a world and at a time when crime knows no borders… And in places like the Costa del Sol, we are seeing phenomena that inevitably affect us due to their spread”
Ana Mula, mayor of Fuengirola

Ana Mula, mayor of Fuengirola, at a meeting with senior officials from the national and local police, and councillor for public safety José Luis Ponce. Fuengirola Local Government

On Tuesday, Ana Mula, the mayor of the Spanish town on the Costa del Sol, urged the country’s government to provide more resources and help improve the response to growing gang-related drug trafficking conflicts in the area popular with tourists and ex-pats.

During a meeting with senior officials from the national and local police, and councillor for public safety José Luis Ponce, Mula said she was determined to face the issue “head-on”.

“We live in a world and at a time when crime knows no borders,” she said.

“And in places like the Costa del Sol, we are seeing phenomena that inevitably affect us due to their spread.

“We must lay all potential threats on the table and prepare ourselves to confront this new reality, using our resources to the fullest and with the best possible guarantees. We need far greater involvement from the State in this matter.”

The mayor said she has sent two letters to the Spanish minister of the interior Fernando Grande-Marlaska urging him to build a new national police station, but has yet to receive a response.

Explainer

Spain shootings: Who were Eddie Lyons Jr and Ross Monaghan?

Double murder on the Costa del Sol could be a significant escalation in a long-running gangland war.

“Unfortunately, events have proven us right,” Mula said.

“And now it is necessary to have facilities that match Fuengirola’s population level, as well as more police officers, and ones specialised in the types of criminal activity we face in our area.

“I intend to be relentless in pursuing this just demand. It is an absolute priority for our residents and our town.”

The police have not said if the targeted killings of Eddie Lyons Jr and Ross Monaghan are linked to the gang war which has gripped Glasgow and Edinburgh, or if they are connected with drug-related violence in Andalucia.

But there are concerns that the shooting could spark retaliation on Scottish soil.

Scotland

Shootings in Spain could bring ‘new level of violence’ to organised crime in Scotland

The former director of Scotland’s DEA warned the murders of Eddie Lyons Jr and Ross Monaghan could see retaliation in Scotland.

Last month, Police Scotland made more than 40 arrests linked to ongoing violence in the west and east of Scotland.

The criminal feud ignited after gunmen targeted two homes in Edinburgh within 48 hours. Several homes and businesses have been torched in recent months.

The Spanish ministry of the interior has been contacted for comment.