Gangland war ends as violent rival thugs 'resolve differences'

Published: 19:25, 14 July 2026 | Updated: 19:54, 14 July 2026 The gangland war that has been raging across Scotland has ended after rival factions resolved their feud, police have said. Chief Constable Jo Farrell revealed the underworld clash which saw a spate of murder bids, shootings and petrol bombings has now petered out. The fire-bombing of an Edinburgh beauty salon in March last year ignited the chaos which rocked the Central Belt for much of that year. A six-month spell of intense attacks saw some 84 incidents recorded. Tensions eventually eased after 64 arrests were made and seven firearms were seized but a brief resurgence in violence at the start of this year led to another flurry of police activity. Police said there were 10 further incidents with five arrests made so far. Ms Farrell, as part of an update to the Scottish Police Authority, has now said the gangland war came to an end in part because of a ‘resolution of differences’. The Chief Constable’s report said: ‘Operation Portaledge was instigated in March 2025 following a wave of violence between serious organised crime groups. Steven Lyons pictured in custody in Bali A property on Edinburgh's Hay Drive was one of the first places to be targeted in the gang feud 'What followed was a deeply concerning “war” that would span six months before there was a downturn in activity. ‘The cause of that downturn was multi-factorial, including the resolution of differences within organised crime. 'However the impact of police efforts to disrupt and detect offenders cannot be understated.’ A number of high-profile gangland arrests are believed to have weakened Scotland’s most infamous gangs. Some of the attacks investigated by Operation Portaledge targeted members of the Daniel crime gang, a rival of the Lyons family for decades. Steven Lyons, the head of the Lyons gang, is now in custody. He was arrested in Bali in March, deported to Holland and then extradited to Spain. Former Police Scotland superintendent Martin Gallagher said: ‘The dust appears to be settling on the decapitation of the Lyons’ group. ‘Who knows what will come next but the hierarchy that emerges will be one for police in Scotland to continue to fight.’