Major Scottish gangland figure Steven Daniel arrested in organised crime raid

Steven Daniel, one of Scotland's most prominent gangland figures, was arrested early this morning in a major police raid. The 46-year-old, known as "Bonzo," was apprehended from his residence in Robroyston, Glasgow, at approximately 06:00. He is believed to be the head of the notorious Daniel crime family, which has been locked in a violent feud with the Lyons family for two decades.

Daniel faces charges of serious and organised crime, firearms, and drugs offenses as part of Operation Venetic, a wide-ranging UK-wide initiative that has dismantled several gangs.

BBC Scotland News accompanied the operation shortly before dawn. A fleet of officers, briefed at a nearby police station, converged on Daniel's home in a convoy. Two uniformed officers initially engaged Daniel through a first-floor window before he exited the property and was placed in the back of a police van. Simultaneously, another man, Steven Gordon, 39, was arrested in Garthamlock, some 4 miles away, on charges including serious and organised crime, firearms, drugs offenses, and conspiracy to murder. Both men are scheduled to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Thursday.

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Ferry emphasized that those involved in serious and organised crime will face justice. He affirmed the commitment to relentless pursuit of those who profit from community harm. Since 2020, when the National Crime Agency infiltrated a criminal communication system, Operation Venetic in Scotland has led to over 60 arrests. In May 2017, Daniel sustained severe facial injuries during a 100mph car chase through Glasgow.