Glasgow, April 14, 2025 — A violent underworld feud involving one of Scotland’s most notorious crime families has taken a dangerous international turn, with a Dubai-based gangster believed to be orchestrating targeted attacks on senior figures of the Daniel crime clan, according to underworld sources.
The conflict erupted into public view in the early hours of Monday morning when two homes linked to the Daniel family were set alight in separate firebomb attacks in Bishopbriggs. Disturbing footage widely circulated on social media shows Steven “Bonzo” Daniel’s home on John Marshall Drive being doused in petrol and set ablaze, with flames quickly engulfing the property.
In a second attack, a property on Colston Drive, believed to be owned by Norman Daniel, brother of late crime boss Jamie Daniel, was also torched. The videos, which were set to the song Keep on Running by The Spencer Davis Group, appeared to mock the clan while escalating the psychological impact of the attacks.
A Police Scotland spokesperson confirmed both fires are being treated as wilful, adding that there were no reported injuries. Investigations are ongoing.
The situation worsened when a 72-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy were hospitalised following an unrelated but connected incident in Egilsay Crescent, Milton, where masked thugs kicked down a door searching for another of Jamie Daniel’s brothers.
International Dimensions
According to a source quoted by the Daily Record, the attacks are part of a broader gangland vendetta triggered last month in Edinburgh, when a crew linked to jailed cocaine dealer Mark Richardson allegedly stole £500,000 worth of drugs from a Dubai-based cartel figure. The fallout has now spiralled into an all-out war engulfing parts of Glasgow, with the Daniel family squarely in the crosshairs.
“The senior members of the Daniel family are being hunted first and foremost,” the underworld source claimed. “They earned the money, built the name. Now they’re the ones being taken seriously by the Dubai-based gangster.”
The source also alleged that long-time Daniel rivals, the Lyons crime group, are collaborating with the Dubai-based figure, providing intelligence on targets and their whereabouts.
Social Media Intimidation
The campaign of violence is reportedly being accompanied by a disturbing social media propaganda effort, with videos of the attacks uploaded alongside captions declaring the intent to eliminate what they call the “Daniel Virus.” These brazen posts have intensified fears within Glasgow’s underworld and raised alarms among local residents.
Police Response
Detective Chief Superintendent David Ferry of the Specialist Crime Division condemned the violence and the online glorification of criminal acts.
“To attack an elderly woman and a child is simply cowardly,” he said. “No one should feel unsafe in their own home. We are following multiple lines of inquiry and will use every resource available to trace those responsible.”
Ferry urged the public to review any relevant dash-cam, doorbell, or mobile footage that could help investigators, particularly relating to a dark SUV-style vehicle seen in the area at the time of the Milton incident.
“While we believe these are targeted attacks, the risk to the wider community is real. We will not allow organised crime to terrorise our neighbourhoods,” he added.
Officers—both plain-clothed and uniformed—will maintain a presence in the affected areas as the investigation continues.
