An airplane from the Irish Government has departed from the city of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, heading to Ireland as part of the extradition process of Daniel Kinahan, identified as the alleged leader of one of the largest organized crime organizations worldwide.
The aircraft of the Irish Armed Forces took off from Al Maktum International Airport around 10:15 AM and is expected to land a few hours later at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, according to the Irish public broadcaster RTÉ.
Kinahan, at the head of the so-called Kinahan Cartel -- a transnational criminal structure related to drug trafficking, illegal arms trade, and money laundering -- was arrested in Dubai last April in compliance with an arrest warrant issued by the Irish Justice for alleged serious crimes linked to organized crime.
Kinahan, 49 years old and also known for his role as an Irish boxing promoter, maintains a violent feud with the Hutch clan, led by Gerry, alias "The Monk." The confrontation between both factions -- which has left nearly twenty dead in recent years -- began due to internal disagreements and escalated after the murder of Gary Hutch, Gerry's nephew, in September 2015 in the town of Mijas, Málaga.
"The Monk" was arrested in Fuengirola (Málaga) in August 2021 after being accused of the shooting at the Regency Hotel in Dublin (Ireland) in 2016 in which David Byrne, Kinahan's associate, was killed, and in which the cartel leader himself managed to escape unharmed. The trial began in October 2022 and he was declared not guilty in April 2023.
The Kinahan Clan was created by Christy Kinahan in the 1990s. His firstborn, Daniel -- one of the three main leaders of the organization -- moved from the Spanish Costa del Sol to the United Arab Emirates after Byrne's death.