Senior Kinahan figure on way to Ireland after extradition
One of the most senior figures in the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, who is wanted in Ireland to face charges of murder and involvement with a criminal gang, has been extradited from the United Arab Emirates.
Sean McGovern, who was named in the Special Criminal Court as one of the leaders of the group, is on a Defence Forces military aircraft to Ireland.
The Irish Air Corps Airbus C295 plane which is bringing him back to Ireland is due to land later today.
The aircraft left Casement Aerodrome in Dublin on Monday morning en route to Dubai.
It stopped in Marseille in France and Larnaca in Cyprus before arriving in Dubai on Tuesday afternoon.
It flew out of Al Maktoum International Airport at around 8pm Irish time last night with Mr McGovern on board, escorted by gardaí and military personnel.
The 39-year-old, who gardaí say is Daniel Kinahan's right-hand man, is wanted for the murder of Noel Kirwan, an innocent man who was shot dead as part of the Hutch-Kinahan feud in December 2016.
Mr McGovern is the first person to be extradited from the United Arab Emirates to Ireland.
He has been in custody for over seven months and is being escorted back to Ireland by gardaí who are expected to formally arrest him when his plane lands here, and charge him before the Special Criminal Court.
A European Arrest Warrant has already been issued by the High Court.
Mr McGovern was arrested by police in Dubai on 10 October 2024 on foot of an Interpol red notice, a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.
He has been contesting his extradition since, but the fact that he has been put on an Irish military plane and is being flown back to Ireland is evidence that he has lost that fight and that extradition proceedings in the UAE have now concluded.
Interpol described Mr McGovern as "one of Ireland's most wanted fugitives" and said the red notice was published to support the ongoing collaboration between the Irish and UAE authorities.
It also confirmed that Mr McGovern is wanted for charges including murder and directing an organised crime group.
Mr McGovern is one of the seven senior figures in the Kinahan Organised Crime Group named and sanctioned by the US authorities.
Originally from Drimnagh in Dublin, he was part of the Byrne Organised Crime Group, the Dublin faction of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group.
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