An Irish government aircraft has flown to Dubai as authorities prepare to extradite alleged organized crime figure Daniel Kinahan to Ireland.
The Dublin boxing promoter, who is in his late 40s, was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in connection with alleged serious organized crime offenses.
The aircraft left Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel, west of Dublin, on Saturday morning and was expected to return to Ireland on Sunday evening. The aircraft was in Dubai, Sky News reported.
Kinahan has been living in the United Arab Emirates in recent years. The Irish High Court previously identified him as a senior figure in an organized crime group allegedly involved in international drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
Irish authorities have long linked Kinahan to the Kinahan organized crime group, which became widely known during a violent feud with the rival Hutch crime group.
The feud began in 2015 and resulted in 18 deaths, according to the information cited by Sky News.
Kinahan himself was targeted in 2016 when an armed attack was carried out at the Regency Hotel in Dublin during a boxing weigh in. He survived the attempt.
The case has also attracted international attention because of alleged links between the Kinahan organization and organized crime networks operating across several countries.
In 2022, U.S. authorities announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Kinahan’s arrest.
Kinahan has also built a profile in professional boxing. His involvement in the sport brought him international attention before allegations surrounding organized crime became a dominant part of his public profile.
The extradition effort marks a significant development in the Irish authorities’ long running pursuit of Kinahan. His transfer from the United Arab Emirates would allow Irish authorities to pursue the criminal proceedings for which he was arrested.
The precise timetable for his arrival and the next legal steps were not provided in the material cited by Sky News.
Source: Sky News.
