Indonesia extradites Scottish man sought by Spain as crime boss

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities on Wednesday extradited an alleged Scottish crime boss to Spain, after his removal was delayed multiple times as police pursued an ongoing investigation, officials said.

Steven Lyons, 45, described by law enforcement as a senior figure in an international crime syndicate, was flown from Indonesia to Amsterdam early Wednesday morning, said Husnan Handano, a spokesperson for the island of Bali’s immigration office.

From there, he was to be transferred onward to Spain to face charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering, Handano said.

Lyons was arrested on March 28 upon arrival at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport from Singapore after Indonesia’s immigration system flagged him through an Interpol Red Notice issued at Spain’s request. A Red Notice is an international alert seeking the arrest of a suspect for extradition.

Alleged to be the leader of the Lyons crime family, Lyons has been wanted by authorities in Spain and Britain. He has been on Spain’s wanted list for about two years, following a killing there in 2024.

Bali Police Chief Daniel Adityajaya said Lyons’ arrest was part of a joint investigation involving Indonesian, Spanish and Scottish authorities.

Police in Indonesia allege Lyons led a transnational criminal network, operating out of Scotland, that controlled narcotics trafficking routes between Spain and the U.K. Authorities also suspect the group laundered money through shell companies across Europe and the Middle East, including in Spain, Scotland, England, Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain and Turkey.

Prior to his arrest in Bali, police in Scotland and Spain carried out raids linked to the investigation that resulted in multiple arrests. Additional suspects were detained in Turkey, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates.

Lyons arrived in Bali with two companions who are believed to be still on the island, although Lyons told authorities he traveled alone, said Bugie Kurniawan, head of the Bali immigration office. He said Spain’s Interpol has identified them as members of the same criminal cartel but they are not the targets of any arrest warrants or Interpol Red Notices.

Bali Police spokesperson Ari Sandy refused to comment on the investigation.

Scottish media have reported that Lyons survived a shooting in Glasgow in 2006 that killed his cousin, later moved to Spain and eventually settled in Dubai. Last year, his brother and an associate were shot and killed in what authorities described as a suspected gangland attack at a beachfront bar in Fuengirola, southern Spain.