A key figure in one of Scotland’s deadliest gangland feuds was arrested today in a dawn raid on his home.
Steven ‘Bonzo’ Daniel, 46, was handcuffed at around 6am outside the house in Robroyston, on the northern outskirts of Glasgow.
Daniel is widely believed to be the head of the notorious Daniel crime family, which has been engaged in a violent feud with its rivals, the Lyons clan, for 25 years.
The two factions have also been linked to a gang war across Scotland’s central belt that erupted in March last year and led to scores of incidents, including arson attacks and attempted murders.
Daniel was arrested as part of Operation Venetic, the long-running investigation into evidence gathered from the successful hacking of EncroChat – an encrypted messaging app used by organised crime groups.
Dozens of officers from the Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit gathered for a briefing before the raid.
When they reached Daniel’s house, two of them spoke to him through a first-floor window before an officer with a police dog entered through the front door.
Steven ‘Bonzo’ Daniel, 46, was handcuffed at around 6am outside the house in Robroyston, on the northern outskirts of Glasgow
Daniel – seen in an earlier photo – is widely believed to be the head of the notorious Daniel crime family
Moments later, Daniel emerged from the property before being handcuffed and taken away in a waiting police van.
A second man, Steven Gordon, 39, was arrested in nearby Garthamlock as part of the same operation.
Both men were arrested in connection with serious and organised crime, firearms and drugs offences.
Lyons family chief Steven Lyons, 45, is awaiting trial in Spain over his alleged involvement in serious organised crime and money laundering.
Police in Bali said Lyons, who was subject to an Interpol alert, was alleged to be the leader of ‘a large-scale transnational criminal organisation’ engaged in drug trafficking and money laundering.
Interpol alleged Lyons was part of a criminal group operating in countries including Spain, Scotland, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Turkey.
His arrest came a day after a Scottish-Spanish operation resulted in police arresting 13 alleged members of the criminal group in raids across Scotland, Barcelona and Malaga.
Assistant Chief Constable Dave Ferry said of today’s arrests: ‘The chief constable has made it clear that those intent on being involved in serious and organised crime will be brought to justice.
Steven ‘Bonzo’ Daniel, 46, was handcuffed at around 6am outside the house in Robroyston, on the northern outskirts of Glasgow
‘This enforcement action underlines that commitment.
‘We will continue to take strong action and use every tool and tactic available to relentlessly pursue those involved in serious criminality who seek to profit from the harm and misery they cause to communities in Scotland.’
It comes as detectives continue to investigate whether a deliberate fire at a garage in Glasgow yesterday is linked to any resurgence in gangland violence.
The blaze came just 24 hours after police announced they were investigating a car crash into a house in Eaglesham, a suburb south of Glasgow.
Police Scotland announced last month that the gang war had come to an end.
A spate of violent crime began in Edinburgh in March last year and spread west, with incidents including fire-raising and attempted murders.
Police responded to 84 separate incidents of violence and disorder, made 64 arrests and executed 55 search and arrest warrants.
Steven Lyons (centre) was paraded by Indonesian police officers following his arrest in March. He is now awaiting trial in Spain
There was a ‘short-lived re-emergence’ of such incidents earlier this year, leading to further arrests.
The situation was described in a recent update provided in the name of Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell to the Scottish Police Authority.
It stated: ‘Operation Portaledge was instigated in March 2025 following a wave of violence between serious organised crime groups throughout the central belt of Scotland.
‘What followed was a deeply concerning ”war” between rivals, that would span six months and cover the length and breadth of Scotland before there was a clear and obvious downturn in activity.
‘The cause of that downturn was without question multi-factorial, including the resolution of differences within the serious and organised crime community, however the impact of Police Scotland and partners’ efforts to co-ordinate, disrupt and detect offenders cannot be understated.’
