Daily Record Crime Reporter Norman Silvester speaks with Liverpool crime expert Richard Elias about the historic links between the criminal underworld in his home city and Glasgow
04:30, 26 Feb 2026Updated 09:34, 26 Feb 2026
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The lucrative long term relationship between Liverpool and Scottish organised crime groups was highlighted last year with the arrest and extradition of Merseyside man Michael Riley following the murders of Glasgow crime bosses Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons jnr.
Both men were shot dead by a mystery assassin at Monaghan’s bar in Fuengirola in Spain last May.
Port of Liverpool including Seaforth Dock where drugs supplied to Scotland are said to come in(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Record’s Criminal Record podcast, author and editor Richard Elias describes how Liverpool has been supplying Scotland’s crime bosses with hard drugs for the last 50 years with most of the multi-million pound trade going through Glasgow.
He says the drugs connection between the two cities really kicked in during the late 1980s and early 90s with the growth in the heroin trade.
Richard, is co-author of Cocky, the acclaimed bestseller about Liverpool gangster and crime boss Curtis ‘Cocky’ Warren.
He added: “There was report that at one stage, 80 percent of Scotland’s narcotics came from Merseyside.
“I don’t think the figures today are quite that high but they are still significant.
“Couriers are sent down down the M74 and M6 with the money and they come back with the drugs.
“The big factor in the drugs trade in Liverpool and across Merseyside is the port itself and the container terminal at Seaforth.
“The terminal provides a direct link with South and Central America and the Caribbean.
“The difficulty of being able to search such a large complex gives criminals the opportunity to bring in large amounts of narcotics.”
Richard Elias(Image: Tony Nicoletti/Daily Record)
Richard says the first drugs to come out of Liverpool were cannabis in the 1970’s followed by heroin and ecstasy in the 1980’s and now cocaine and ketamine.
He added: “Liverpool is one of the top three distribution hubs in the UK for drugs.
“It is the only city in England where foreign criminals such as Albanians haven’t managed to get a foothold.”
Richard, who is deputy editor of our sister paper the Scottish Daily Express, says the main route for all drugs into Scotland is Liverpool to Glasgow.
However in the past five years Liverpool gangs have also established independent drugs distribution networks in smaller Scots towns in Aberdeenshire, Inverness and the Highlands – called County Lines – while being careful not step on the toes of their Glasgow counterparts.
Richard says organised crime in Liverpool and across Merseyside is controlled by around six major crime groups and there is not the equivalent violent long running feud seen in Glasgow between the Lyons and Daniel families.
Most of the violence including fatal shootings involves smaller groups of young criminals- dubbed postcode gangs – fighting over street territories particularly in the north of Liverpool.
Richard added:”The major players tend stand to keep a much lower profile.
“They don’t want law enforcemeent bodies like the National Crime Agency or Merseyside Police going through their doors.
“If they can keep it quiet it mans a better lifestyle for them more money and and less hassle.
“I think they are quite happy if these kids in the street gangs the postcode gangs are taking the attention away from them that suits them.
“The people at the top will keep themselves very much to the sleeves.
“They will carry on with their dealings and the dealing will be global, whether bit be south America Spain or the United Araba Emirates”
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Richard says the level of gun violence in Liverpool is far greater than that seen in Glasgow.
He added: “Merseyside has a far higher propensity for firearms related violence than Scotland, particularly the West of Scotland.”The ability to source weapons has been compared to a lending library. You can rent a weapon including ammunition.
“If you use the weapon you have to pay an increased fee and then hand the weapon back.
“Often in a court case you will hear that the same weapon has been used four or five times.
“That’s down to the library system that has been in existence for 30 years”
One example of gun violence involving street gangs was the murder in 2007 of eleven-year-old Rhys Jones who was was shot dead in Croxteth, Liverpool, while walking home from football practice. Sean Mercer, aged 16 at the time, who was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Rhys Jones(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Liverpool has a long history of organised crime with notable recent crime figures including Tommy Comerford, Curtis Warren, John Haase and feared Scot Ian McAteer.
Richard says Haase as known to have supplied a Magnum gun to a well known Glasgow crime figure for which he was later arrested and banged up.
Warren, who is 63, has convictions for manslaughter and drug smuggling was formerly Interpol’s number one target and once named on The Sunday Times Rich List.
Curtis Warren(Image: PA)
McAteer, from Dalmuir in Clydebank, was a prominent face in the Glasgow and Merseyside criminal underworld during the 1990’s having risen through the ranks.
In 2001 at Liverpool Crown Court, McAteer was found guilty of the murder of drug dealer Warren Selkirk who was shot five times at point blank range at Crosby Marina in the city.
A plastic bag filled with dog excrement – said to be a sign of contempt – was found in his right hand..
Ian McAteer(Image: Press Association)
Richard says the arrest of 45-year old-Michael Riley for the murders of Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons jnr caused some surprise back in Liverpool and believes it could be several years before he stands trial.
Richard added: “Riley is a very unknown factor.
“He hasn’t been on the radar of a lot of people for quite a while.
“One Merseyside solicitor described him as a fairly non-descript individual and was surprised his name thrown into the ring for this.
“From the people I have been speaking to Riley does not fit the profile of a hitman at all.
“They have said this is someone who has handled weapons before and then has the bottle to shoot two people dead in a crowded bar.”
Richard Elias on Criminal Record(Image: Tony Nicoletti/Daily Record)
Richard was surprised when Riley dropped his opposition to extradition in October and agreed to go to Spain to stand trial., following his arrest in Liverpool last June.
He understands that much of the evidence against him relates to CCTV footage at various locations including Monaghan’s bar and airports in England and Portugal.
Richard added:”By all accounts Riley could be languishing in a Spanish cell for quite some time before being brought to trial.”
Richard’s Criminal Record interview can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwVKXWKY_p3jiVE-WTi5Q5Oc6dGD0XUxz