LONDON (BN24) — A 44-year-old man has been arrested in the United Kingdom in connection with the shooting deaths of two Scots outside a bar in Fuengirola, southern Spain, earlier this month, authorities confirmed Saturday.
Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jr, both from Scotland, were shot and killed outside Monaghans Bar on the Costa del Sol after a masked gunman opened fire around 11 p.m., before fleeing in a vehicle. The two men died at the scene.
The suspect, whose name has not been released, was arrested Friday in the Liverpool area by Merseyside Police in coordination with Spanish authorities, according to a spokesperson from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). He was taken into custody on two counts of murder and appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday as extradition proceedings began.
“The operation was supported by officers from the NCA’s National Extradition Unit,” the agency said in a statement. “The individual was remanded in custody following the court hearing.”
Spanish law enforcement is leading the investigation into the deadly shooting, while Police Scotland has offered assistance where requested. Authorities in the UK have not deployed officers to Spain but are cooperating as needed.
In a statement following the attack, Police Scotland emphasized that the double homicide does not appear to be connected to ongoing gang-related violence currently under investigation in Scotland. The force discouraged speculation linking the Spanish shooting to other incidents.
“There is currently no intelligence to suggest the deaths of these two men in Spain are linked to the recent criminal attacks in Scotland being investigated as part of Operation Portaledge,” the statement said. “Any misinformation or speculation linking the events in Spain is not helpful to the ongoing investigations in either country.”
Operation Portaledge is a major criminal investigation targeting a series of shootings, firebombings, and assaults in Glasgow and Edinburgh since March. More than 40 individuals have been arrested in connection with that probe. However, officials stress there is no known evidence that the Fuengirola shooting was planned or coordinated from within Scotland.
Authorities say the gunman responsible for the Spanish attack pulled up outside the bar in a car, stepped out wearing a mask, and opened fire as Monaghan and Lyons stood outside. The attacker then fled the scene in the same vehicle.
The extradition case for the 44-year-old suspect will now proceed through the UK courts, as Spanish authorities seek to bring him to Spain to face trial over the killings.
