Amanda Lyons, 38, was nicked in the Middle East last month as part of the ongoing international probe to derail the Lyons clan’s drug trafficking network.
Steven Lyons’ wife was arrested at Dubai Airport after being flagged up as a wanted person by the Interpol, UAE cops have revealed.
Amanda Lyons, 38, was nabbed in the Middle East last month as part of the ongoing international probe to derail the Lyons clan’s drug trafficking network amid the ongoing turf war in Scotland.
Dubai Police have since confirmed she was arrested after systems flagged her up on an Interpol Red Notice – a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, acting as a high-level alert for wanted fugitives.
While not an international arrest warrant, a red notice restricts international travel, freezes assets, and severely damages reputation.
A statement from Dubai Police reads: “Dubai Police arrested a member of the criminal organisation upon arrival at a Dubai airport, following the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice against them. The swift action reflects Dubai Police’s high level of readiness and the effectiveness of their integrated security systems in tackling transnational organised crime and supporting international law enforcement cooperation.”
Lyons’ moll was arrested as part of Operation Armorum, a Spanish Civil Guard investigation that has seen multiple arrests following a series of dawn raids in Spain, Scotland, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The statement from cops continues: “Dubai Police, in cooperation with the UAE Ministry of Interior, played a pivotal role in dismantling the ‘Lyons Clan‘, one of the most violent criminal organisations to emerge in Scotland in recent decades.
“This operation reflects a highly advanced level of international law enforcement coordination, bringing together a number of key agencies, including Dubai Police, the Spanish Guardia Civil, Europol, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, alongside other police authorities.
“This joint effort enabled the identification of network members, the dismantling of its structure, and the seizure of assets linked to its criminal activities. Investigations further revealed that the network was actively engaged in drug trafficking and money laundering, with operations spanning Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It relied on a sophisticated system of shell companies and complex financial transactions to manage and conceal the proceeds of its illicit activities.”
Amanda’s arrest came just days after her husband was detained when arriving in Bali over allegations of laundering £26million through his organised crime gang. She faces years in prison following the pair’s arrest and the unravelling of his criminal empire following the worldwide probe.
A picture published by the Record shows Amanda happily pouting in designer clobber. Amanda is the daughter of Richard ‘Ricky’ Hayes, a leading crime figure on the Costa Del Sol.
He began his criminal career selling heroin in Glasgow’s Easterhouse, running a network of street dealers including Derek ‘Deco’ Ferguson – who would go on to become Scotland’s most wanted fugitive. Police are believed to have swooped on Amanda as she looked set to fly to Indonesia from Dubai to be reunited with her fugitive husband, who was held by immigration officers when he flew into Bali from Singapore.
Spanish cops, who described Amanda as an “active member” of Steven’s crime gang, earlier this week branded the group “a highly sophisticated criminal organisation characterised by violence” as they made their first official comments since the arrest of its leader.
As part of Operation Armorum Spanish cops burst into 18 properties in Barcelona and elsewhere in Spain in linked raids. There have been 15 arrests overall, including ten in Scotland.
Officers from Police Scotland arrested eight men aged 64, 46, 45, 45, 41, 39, 39 and 35, at addresses in Glasgow, Bellshill, Cumbernauld, Gartcosh, Caldercruix, Coatbridge, and East Whitburn at around 4.30am on Friday, March 27. The men all appeared in court this week and were charged with a variety of offences, including organised crime.
Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.