Walter Finch
A MAN from Merseyside has been arrested and could face extradition to Spain in connection with the double murder of two Scottish gangsters outside an Irish pub in Fuengirola last month.
Michael Riley, 44, was detained by Merseyside Police on Friday in the Liverpool area acting with Spanish authorities, and appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday morning where he was remanded in custody pending further proceedings.
The arrest relates to the hit on Eddie Lyons Jnr and Ross Monaghan, who were gunned down by a hooded killer outside Monaghans bar in Fuengirola while they watched the Champions League final on the evening of 31st May.
READ MORE: Police plead for backup as gangland shootings rock Costa del Sol
The two Scottish men were shot dead at around 11pm when a car pulled up outside the popular Irish bar and a masked gunman emerged before opening fire on the pair inside the venue.
The assassin immediately fled the scene in the waiting vehicle, leaving both victims dead. He was reported to have fled Spain via Portugal and then on to the UK.
The attack sent shockwaves through the expat community along the Costa del Sol, where such violent incidents have become increasingly common in recent years.
The double shooting initially raised concerns about potential links to ongoing gang warfare in Scotland, where a series of violent incidents have plagued Glasgow and Edinburgh since March.
However, Police Scotland released a statement earlier this month to say there was ‘no intelligence to suggest’ the Fuengirola killings were connected to the recent criminal attacks being investigated under Operation Portaledge.
That major police operation is examining a suspected gang feud that has resulted in numerous shootings, firebombings and assaults across central Scotland, leading to more than 40 arrests in recent months.
The extradition process for the Liverpool suspect could now see him returned to Spain to face charges in connection with the Costa del Sol murders.
Spanish authorities have been working closely with their British counterparts since the investigation began, utilising international cooperation agreements to track down those responsible for the killings.
Fuengirola’s Monaghans bar, where the shooting took place, is well-known among the British and Irish community on the Costa del Sol.
The venue has since resumed normal operations following the incident.
The case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Spanish police in dealing with international criminal activity along the Costa del Sol, where the large expatriate population and proximity to North Africa have long made the region attractive to organised crime groups from across Europe.
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