Two Scottish men in their forties were fatally shot on Saturday night in Fuengirola, Málaga (Andalusia), in what has been described as an execution-style murder.
Authorities have said the killings are being investigated as a ‘score-settling act’, with both victims allegedly linked to drug-trafficking.
The shooting in Spain comes amid a violent gang war that has also ripped through Scotland since March, which according to Scottish media is said to have started over a fallout over drugs.
Spanish police have not officially named the victims, but media reports claim they are Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jr – both with alleged links to criminal gangs in Scotland. The two men were cleared of being involved in a brutal street attack on three men outside a bar in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, in 2017, according to a Daily Mail report.
Graphic footage captured on CCTV at the bar was broadcast on ‘La Programa de Ana Rosa’ on Spain’s TeleCinco on Monday morning (see social media link below).
The attack occurred around 11pm outside Monaghans, an Irish-themed pub on the Rey de España promenade, popular among British tourists and expats.
A man wearing a mask fired at the two as they stood outside the establishment, then fled on foot. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
Local media reported that the bar was busy at the time with patrons watching the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan. One of the victims’ wives, who was present, reportedly escaped unharmed.
Witness accounts suggest the assailant walked up to one of the men and shot him in the chest at point-blank range, killing him instantly.
The second man attempted to flee but was pursued into the bar. He appeared to be heading toward the toilets before he was shot in the chest and abdomen, also dying at the scene.
No other individuals were harmed, though the bar staff scrambled for safety after spotting the gunman.
Following the shooting, the suspect escaped on foot and is believed to have later joined an accomplice and left the area in a car.
Emergency services received numerous distress calls as panic spread among bystanders. National Police, Local Police and paramedics responded swiftly, although attempts to revive the victims were unsuccessful.
The Spanish National Police’s violent crime and narcotics division (UDYCO) is leading the investigation. Police conducted a thorough on-site investigation that continued into the early morning of Sunday.
Francisco Javier Salas, the Spanish government’s sub-delegate for the region, said: ‘This type of incident causes alarm, but we hope that we will soon be able to find the perpetrator.’
Authorities have reportedly activated the ‘Plan Costa del Sol’ protocol, a branch of the previously implemented ‘Plan Marbella’ that successfully disrupted organised crime networks last year. This strategy aims to unify provincial law enforcement in tracking down the perpetrators.
The Costa del Sol has long been popular for organised crime groups from around the world, and the area has seen a spike in shootings in recent weeks. Spanish media reports Saturday’s was the seventh in 45 days.
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