Summary
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An Irish government jet carrying Daniel Kinahan is due to touch down in Dublin shortly
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The suspected crime boss is being extradited from the United Arab Emirates following his arrest there in April – who is he?
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A large security operation is in place, with Ireland’s prison service having bought a bulletproof and bombproof van ahead of the extradition
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Facilities at the maximum-security Portlaoise Prison have also been upgraded, local media report
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The Kinahan cartel has been responsible for trafficking tonnes of drugs and firearms around the world for more than 20 years, according to the UK’s National Crime Agency
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Kinahan is expected to be charged and face Ireland’s three-judge Special Criminal Court in the next few hours – his lawyer previously told the BBC that allegations about him being a crime boss are false
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Irish, Emirati justice ministers welcome ‘landmark’ cooperationpublished at 18:06 BST
Hayley Halpin
BBC News NI
Image source, EPAImage caption, Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan
Justice ministers for Ireland and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are welcoming the extradition.
Ireland’s Jim O’Callaghan expresses his country’s “deepest appreciation” and commends the “professionalism, efficiency, and diligence demonstrated by the
UAE judicial authorities throughout the extradition proceedings”.“This decision
is another landmark of judicial cooperation between the two countries and
reflects the strength of our partnership to address transnational organised
crime,” O’Callaghan adds.His Emirati counterpart, Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, reaffirms the UAE’s commitment “to enhance our judicial partnerships with the international community”.
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Irish government jet flew to Dubai to collect Kinahanpublished at 17:53 BST
Gabija Gataveckaite
Dublin correspondentIt will be here at Baldonnel Airport where we are expecting Daniel Kinahan to arrive soon.
This airport is mostly used by the Irish military. Daniel Kinahan is being escorted by gardaà (police) as well as a number of other Irish officials.
He is on board the Falcon X6 which is the new Irish government jet.
The jet left Baldonnel Airport yesterday; it made its way to Dubai, spent overnight there and it is now on its way back.
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In pictures: Tight security in Dublin ahead of Kinahan’s arrivalpublished at 17:45 BST
Image source, PA MediaWe are seeing images of Irish gardaà (police) outside Casement Aerodrome in County Dublin, where Daniel Kinahan is due to arrive shortly.
A police helicopter is also flying above the airport.
Image source, PA Media -
Who is Daniel Kinahan?published at 17:38 BST
Image source, Collins Photo AgencyHere’s a quick refresher:
Daniel Kinahan, 49, is the son of Christopher “Christy” Kinahan, known to have created what became known as the Kinahan Organised Crime Group (KOCG) in the 1990s.
In 2018, the Irish High Court accepted police evidence that the KOCG was an international crime group and that its drug operations were controlled by Daniel Kinahan – allegations his lawyer has denied.
Kinahan also had ties to the world of sport via his now defunct boxing management company MTK Global. The company became known as a serious professional base for boxers, representing more than 100 boxers including Tyson Fury and Carl Frampton.
In 2022, the US State Department offered a reward of up to $5m (£3.7m) for information leading to Kinahan’s arrest and/or conviction for his alleged participation “in transnational organised crime, namely narcotics trafficking and money laundering”.
A wanted poster of the suspected crime boss now appears on the State Department’s website with the word “captured” superimposed in the foreground.
Image source, US State Department -
Suspected Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan due to arrive in Dublinpublished at 17:32 BST
Image source, Solarpix.comAn Irish government jet carrying suspected Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan is expected to land in Dublin soon following his extradition from Dubai.
He is accused of being a senior figure in a crime cartel involved in international drug trafficking, and is also accused of firearms offences – allegations his lawyer has previously denied.
Kinahan was arrested in Dubai under a warrant issued by the Irish courts in April, and his attempts to fight extradition were unsuccessful.
It’s expected he will be charged immediately on arrival and then brought by gardaà (police) to appear before the non-jury, three judge Special Criminal Court on Sunday evening.
A large-scale security operation is planned for his expected arrival at Basement Aerodrome in Baldonnell, with facilities at the maximum-security Portlaoise Prison further upgraded, Irish broadcaster RTÉ reports.
Kinahan and other members of his family have been accused of being leaders of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group (KOCG) – which the US says has been involved in drug trafficking, gun trafficking and murder.
We’ll bring you live updates on this page.
Original source: https://www.bbc.com/
