Torture and beating photos seized during Lyons gang raids in Spain

Spanish police have seized more than a hundred photographs which appear to show torture and beatings from an apartment linked to a Scottish organised crime group.

The pictures were discovered at a flat in Fuengirola during a series of raids targeting alleged members of the Lyons gang on the Costa Del Sol last month.

Detectives in Scotland and Spain are trying to identify the victims shown in the images.

Police in both countries have been carrying out a joint investigation into the Lyons group for more than two years.

The pictures are said to show victims with broken limbs, head injuries and a gruesome image of an arm. They were found hidden in a piece of furniture.

A source said: "Investigators haven't been able to find out yet if the crimes evidenced by the photos were committed in Spain or elsewhere.

"It seems more likely at this stage they were committed outside of Spain but they have been sent through Interpol to Police Scotland and detectives in both countries are currently conducting more inquiries.

"It's also possible of course, but unlikely, that the photos have been taken from the internet and were being used to instil fear in rivals and enemies of the Lyons gang."

The investigating judge in Malaga who is leading an ongoing probe following the arrests in Spain late last month of seven suspected Lyons gang members has been given copies of the photos.

The same judge issued a European Arrest Warrant for alleged gang leader Steven Lyons which led to his detention in Amsterdam after he was deported from Bali.

The 45-year-old was taken into custody on 28 March after arriving in Indonesia from Singapore. He now faces extradition to Spain.

His wife Amanda is also facing extradition after she was arrested in Dubai.

Spain's Guardia Civil said the Lyons network in Spain had been taken apart in a series of raids, mostly on the Costa Del Sol and in Barcelona, with 20 other people under investigation.

Electronic devices, large amounts of cash, company documents, high-end watches and cryptocurrency wallets were seized.

Operation Armorum has also seen police in Turkey locate and freeze high-value assets linked to the Lyons group.

The operation has seen 15 people arrested across multiple countries.

The Guardia Civil is one of Spain's two national police agencies. It operates as a paramilitary organisation and deals with high-level security and serious crime.

The raids came after a three-year investigation in collaboration with Police Scotland.

A statement released by Andalucia's High Court of Justice, said last week: "So far, there are 24 individuals under investigation, with varying degrees of involvement and responsibility in the events. It appears that all of them are foreigners.

"A total of 19 searches have been carried out, mainly in private homes: one search in Barcelona, another in the city of Malaga, and the rest in Fuengirola and Mijas.

"As a result of these searches, seven people were arrested or turned themselves in to the court after learning they were being sought."

The statement added two people have been remanded in custody, while five were granted bail on the condition that they surrendered their passports and did not leave Spain.

It added several international arrests warrants have been issued in connection with the investigation.