Suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan returning to Ireland in high-security operation

Dubai's Irish government jet has transported suspected crime lord Daniel Kinahan to Dublin for extradition. The 49-year-old, who was apprehended in the UAE in April, faces charges of directing a criminal organization. Upon arrival in Dublin, Kinahan will be charged and transferred by Irish police to a Special Criminal Court for a trial on Sunday evening.

A high-security operation is currently underway, including the use of a bulletproof and bombproof van for the prisoner's transport. The Irish Prison Service arranged this vehicle specifically for Kinahan's case. The plane, tracked via flight data, departed Dubai at 1:19 PM local time and is projected to land in Dublin before 7 PM on Sunday.

Kinahan is not only a target of Irish authorities but also of the US Treasury Department, which labeled his Kinahan cartel as one of the most dangerous criminal organizations globally. The US government imposed sanctions on Kinahan in April 2022, following his successful evasion of extradition attempts from his native Ireland, where his cartel was entangled in a prolonged gangland feud resulting in 18 deaths.

Kinahan has lived in Spain and Dubai since then, with a warrant for his arrest issued in April. Despite appealing the extradition order, his attempts were unsuccessful. Sunday's security operation will involve armed Irish police, members of the Irish Defence Forces, and the Irish Prison Service, as per RTÉ News. The maximum-security Portlaoise Prison in County Laois will house Kinahan on remand.

An extradition agreement between the UAE and Ireland facilitated this extradition, previously utilized for the arrest of Sean McGovern, a senior lieutenant in the organized crime group. The group, responsible for drug and firearm trafficking worldwide for over 20 years, has allegedly earned over €1 billion from criminal activities.

Former Garda Commissioner Drew Harris estimates the gang's global earnings at more than €1 billion. Former US Treasury comparisons draw parallels between the Kinahan cartel and notorious crime syndicates such as Italy's Camorra, Mexico's Los Zetas, and Japan's Yakuza. A $5 million reward (approximately £3.84 million) exists for information leading to the capture of Kinahan, his father Christopher Snr, and brother Christopher Jnr, who are the top three most-wanted members of the group.

In 2022, Thomas Kavanagh, responsible for the cartel's criminal operations in the UK, was sentenced to 21 years, alongside Gary Vickery and Daniel Canning, who received 20 and 19.5 years, respectively. The National Crime Agency (NCA) attributes cocaine imports worth up to £23.4 million and cannabis imports near £6.4 million to the group's criminal operations.

Kinahan's legal team contends that he lacks any criminal record or convictions, labeling the allegations against him as false and lacking any evidential basis.