What is the name of Ian Hollis? He was a former Costa del Sol bar-owner arrested by Spanish authorities in an operation to bring down Scotland’s feared Lyons criminal gang.

The Spanish police have captured several notorious criminals on the Costa del Sol in a massive operation to take down the Lyons crime family.

The Olive Press Ian Hollis is an expat who lives in Scotland.

This long-time pub-owner is well-known on the Costa del Sol. He has previously run a number of popular local bars, including Our Bar in Calahonda.

Hollis, originally from Newcastle, has been living in southern Spain for over two decades. However, he was arrested by police in late March after they raided a dozen homes on the Costa del Sol and a few in Barcelona.

He has been released, it is believed, pending further investigations.

Last month’s arrest was far from the 64 year old’s first run-in with the law.

Hollis received an 18-month sentence in prison in the UK for his part in laundering organized crime money through a fraudulent timeshare program four years ago.

READ MORE – Well-known Costa del Sol personalities caught up in police raid that brought down Scotland’s Lyons Clan

Anthony Lea from St Helens, in the north-west of England, a former solicitor and his crime partner, received a three-year sentence.

Hollis skipped Reading Crown Court hearing to stay in Spain. Hollis cited bogus medical problems, including Covid-19 heart surgery, bad knee and Covid-19.

Sarah Campbell, the judge who issued the warrant, warned the Geordie that he would be detained if ever he returned.

Hollis’s involvement in a timeshare gang was reported to the court.

“The victims were cold-called by telephone with seemingly attractive offers to purchase their properties, for which of course the fraudsters wanted a fee payable in advance of between £1,000 and £1,500, sometimes higher,” prosecutors said.

“The payment was made via bank transfer or credit card.” The apparent queue of buyers did not appear and the companies were unable to be contacted.

To rub salt into the wounds, a connected scam company would then ring up the same victims with an attractive offer to get the stolen money back – for another fee.

Hollis was accused of being responsible for laundering around £74,000 (€85,000) by withdrawing it from a bank in Gibraltar, before handing it over to a mysterious figure in Spain.

Hollis was entitled to 5% of the total cash.

Read More: Watch: Scottish Mafia Boss Steven Lyons faces Extradition to Spain After Humbling Bali Airport Arrest

The court heard the gang’s plan to avoid detection was to defraud small amounts of money so that the police wouldn’t be interested.

They were proven wrong after a resident complained about the scam to West Berkshire Trading Standards. This sparked a three-year probe that revealed how hundreds of timeshare holders had been defrauded.

Daniel Keating, Information Officer for the Timeshare Consumer Association said: “Timeshare is a magnet for criminal activities.”

“In the 1980s, and 1990s well-known British thieves laundered money via high-pressure timeshare sale operations in Spain or the Canary Islands.

“After consumer laws in Spain were passed, timeshare companies almost unanimously ignored them and made millions more on the backs of vulnerable tourists.

“Then, the criminal claims companies appeared.” “Only a small number of companies that claim to be able to help people escape their timeshares, get compensation or escape illegally-sold contracts are real.”

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