The alleged "crime lord" Daniel Kinahan was immediately arrested by the Irish Police this afternoon at the Casement military airfield, on the outskirts of Dublin, just after landing from the United Arab Emirates, a country where he had been in hiding for the last decade.
The Irish Garda has confirmed Kinahan's arrest, who had already been arrested months ago in Dubai under the international warrant that was outstanding against the alleged mobster and which led to an expedited extradition process.
The authorities consider Kinahan the alleged head of one of the most significant criminal organizations worldwide, the Kinahan cartel, a transnational criminal structure linked to drug trafficking, illegal arms trade, and money laundering.
The former boxing promoter, 49 years old, was arrested in Dubai last April in compliance with a detention order issued by Ireland for alleged serious crimes related to organized crime. His prolonged dispute with the rival Hutch clan culminated in the murder of the nephew of leader Gerry Hutch in September 2015 in the municipality of Mijas in Málaga.
Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch was captured in Fuengirola (Málaga) in August 2021 after being identified as responsible for the shooting at the Regency Hotel in Dublin (Ireland) in 2016, in which David Byrne, an associate of Kinahan, lost his life, and from which the cartel leader himself managed to escape unharmed before fleeing to Dubai.
The Kinahan Clan was created by Christy Kinahan in the 1990s. His firstborn, Daniel —one of the three top leaders— moved from the Costa del Sol to the United Arab Emirates after Byrne's murder.
Kinahan appeared briefly tonight before the Special Criminal Court of Dublin, which ordered his preventive detention until the next court hearing scheduled for October 5.
In parallel, in a joint statement, the Ministers of Justice of Ireland and the United Arab Emirates, Jim O'Callaghan and Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, celebrated the handover of "one of the most significant individuals wanted to be prosecuted in relation to transnational organized crime."
According to the note, the decision "sends a clear message that the alleged perpetrators of serious crimes and organized crime will not find safe refuge from justice, reaffirming the shared determination of both countries to ensure that such individuals are brought to justice."
O'Callaghan conveyed Ireland's deep gratitude for the support of the United Arab Emirates in processing the extradition and highlighted the professionalism, efficiency, and diligence shown by the Emirati judicial authorities throughout the entire procedure.
"This decision represents another milestone in judicial cooperation between both countries and reflects the strength of our alliance to combat transnational organized crime," he stated.
Al Nuaimi, for his part, reiterated "the commitment of the United Arab Emirates to continue strengthening judicial cooperation with the Irish authorities and to keep promoting our judicial alliances with the international community."
"This achievement reflects the position of the United Arab Emirates as a trusted international partner in the field of international judicial cooperation and underscores our firm commitment to supporting global efforts to combat transnational organized crime, thereby contributing to regional and international security and stability and to the strengthening of the rule of law," he concluded.