Sources close to the notorious Lyons family crime clan have claimed they have taken the decision to step away from the gangland feud erupting across the capital.
The move by leader Steven Lyons, 44, comes as officers crackdown on the escalating violent situation, with his footsoldiers now ordered to concentrate on the family's own interests.
Reports of arrests in Edinburgh and Glasgow has travelled to Lyons' Dubai home. It has been previously reported the Lyons were supporting Dubai-based Mr Big Ross McGill by feeding him information on their mutual enemies - the Daniel clan.
But the underworld source said Stevie Lyons has pulled their support over fears his henchmen could be jailed after cops arrested 41 people in connection with a series of linked incidents across the country since March, the Daily Record reports.
He said: "The heat from the police is getting too much for Steven and he wants nothing to do with it anymore.
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"His mob are still very active in the north of Glasgow, while he is in Dubai and he wants to keep it that way so his lads are now under strict orders to keep out of the gang war.
"They still have their own feud with the Daniel family and if the opportunity presents itself to target any of them they will take it, but it won't be for Ross McGill."
Six Lyons family associates, Brian Ferguson, 43, Andrew Gallacher, 46, Robert Pickett, 59, Andrew Sinclair, 38, John Hardie, 41, and Peter Bain, 51, were jailed for a total of 104 years in 2019 after being found guilty of plotting murder bids on five men from the Daniel clan.
The source continued: "After losing so many key men , Steven is getting cold feet.
"His troops almost wiped out the Daniel clan after they went at them heavily a few years ago, but they were significantly weakened when six of their top men got big sentences.
"Since then the Lyons family have had to recruit another younger batch of enforcers and Steven doesn't want to risk any of them getting a big jail sentence, especially for a war McGill is fighting."
Steven fled Scotland almost 20 years ago after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt at Applerow Motors garage in Balmore Road, Possil, in 2006.
He was wounded in the attack but cousin Michael, 21, was shot dead and the crime lord left Scotland almost immediately afterwards.
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It is believed he initially settled in Spain but is now living in Dubai, where he has built up criminal connections and formed a close friendship with cartel boss Daniel Kinahan.
The source said: "Steven is settled in Dubai and is worried the ongoing gang war could jeopardise his life in the United Arab Emirates."
He added: "His plan is that he won't ever have to come home.
"He has trusted associates who keep all his business and criminal interests going in Scotland and feels like this gang war is bringing too much attention his way and could alert the authorities in Dubai."
