Latest news with #drugoffences
The National
4 days ago
- General
- The National
Sean McGovern, alleged Kinahan gang member, extradited from UAE to Ireland
A man alleged to be a key player in the Kinahan Organised Crime Group has been extradited from the UAE to Ireland. Sean McGovern, named in Ireland's courts as being part of the criminal gang, landed in Dublin on Thursday evening, having flown on an Irish military aircraft. He is wanted in connection with a 2016 murder and alleged drug offences. Dubai Police arrested Mr McGovern in October 2024, and he has remained in custody since. While Jim O'Callaghan, Ireland's minister for justice, did not name Mr McGovern directly, he welcomed news of an extradition and described it as "further evidence of the excellent criminal justice co-operation" Ireland and the UAE. "In recent years, the UAE and Ireland have worked together to advance criminal investigations into serious and organised crime," Mr O'Callaghan said. "That strong co-operation was further strengthened by the decision to deploy a Garda Liaison Officer to Abu Dhabi last year and the negotiation of bilateral treaties on extradition and mutual legal assistance, both of which entered into force on Sunday May 18." Mr O'Callaghan added that these developments result from the tireless work of law enforcement in both Ireland and the UAE. "I would particularly like to acknowledge and thank my counterpart, the Emirati Minister of Justice, Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi and his senior officials in the Ministry of Justice, along with the Dubai Police, for their ongoing engagement and commitment to strengthening judicial and police-to-police cooperation on criminal matters in our efforts to combat the global threat of organised crime," Mr O'Callaghan said. Mr McGovern was detained in Dubai in 2024 following an Interpol red notice. It is believed he had been contesting the extradition. 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. Additionally, Mr McGovern was also one of the seven senior figures in the Kinahan group named and placed under sanctions by US authorities. The UAE in 2022 froze assets related to the group. Ireland's then minister for justice, Helen McEntee, visited the UAE in October last year to sign the extradition and mutual assistance treaties between both countries. It came just after Mr McGovern was detained. In an interview with The National during the visit, Ms McEntee declined to comment on individual cases but said anyone who thinks they can 'inflict misery' at home and then move away and live with impunity is mistaken. "My objective and our government objective is to make sure that, irrespective of where you go, we can bring you back home to face justice at home,' Ms McEntee said. 'I think this certainly tightens the net … and I think it sends a very clear message,' she said. "This really will apply to everybody and I hope it sends a very strong message to everybody that they won't be able to disobey the law." Ms McEntee said the McGovern case, while again not wanting to get into specifics, had already started and so did not fall under the extradition treaty. RTE reported that Mr McGovern is the first person ever extradited to Ireland from the UAE. The Kinahan gang, meanwhile, emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s as the most powerful organised crime group operating in Ireland.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
British man avoids death penalty after being caught with drugs in Bali
A court on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali sentenced a British man to 10 months in jail on Tuesday for drug offences after a charge that could carry the death penalty was dropped. Thomas Parker, from Cumbria in northwest England, was arrested on January 21 at a villa near Kuta beach, a popular tourist spot, after he allegedly collected a package containing drugs from a motorcycle taxi driver on a nearby street. Police officers said Parker was 'acting suspiciously' while he collected the package, according to the court document. He allegedly discarded it in a panic and fled when police approached him. He was traced back to the villa where he was staying and arrested. A lab test confirmed the package contained slightly over a kilogram (2.326 pounds) of MDMA, the main ingredient in Ecstasy, the document said. During the police investigation, the 32-year-old electrician was able to prove that he did not order the package. It was sent by a drug dealer friend, identified only as Nicky, whom Parker had known for around two years and spoke to regularly through the Telegram messaging app. Parker was told someone would pick it up shortly from him, and he was not promised money or anything else by Nicky in return. Police reduced the initial charge of drug trafficking, which carries a possible death sentence, to the less serious offence of hiding information from authorities after investigators determined that the package was not directly linked to him.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
British man avoids death penalty after being caught with drugs in Bali
A court on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali sentenced a British man to 10 months in jail on Tuesday for drug offences after a charge that could carry the death penalty was dropped. Advertisement Thomas Parker, from Cumbria in northwest England, was arrested on January 21 at a villa near Kuta beach, a popular tourist spot, after he allegedly collected a package containing drugs from a motorcycle taxi driver on a nearby street. Police officers said Parker was 'acting suspiciously' while he collected the package, according to the court document. He allegedly discarded it in a panic and fled when police approached him. He was traced back to the villa where he was staying and arrested. A lab test confirmed the package contained slightly over a kilogram (2.326 pounds) of MDMA, the main ingredient in Ecstasy, the document said. During the police investigation, the 32-year-old electrician was able to prove that he did not order the package. It was sent by a drug dealer friend, identified only as Nicky, whom Parker had known for around two years and spoke to regularly through the Telegram messaging app. Advertisement Parker was told someone would pick it up shortly from him, and he was not promised money or anything else by Nicky in return. Police reduced the initial charge of drug trafficking, which carries a possible death sentence, to the less serious offence of hiding information from authorities after investigators determined that the package was not directly linked to him.
Sky News
6 days ago
- General
- Sky News
British man jailed for drug offence in Bali after death penalty charge dropped
A British man has been jailed in Bali for drug offences - and has been spared the death penalty. A court on the Indonesian island sentenced Thomas Parker, from Cumbria, to 10 months in jail on Tuesday. He was spared the death penalty after a charge that could carry the punishment was dropped. Parker was arrested on 21 January at a villa near the popular Bali tourist spot, Kuta beach. Police said Parker was "acting suspiciously" when he collected a package containing drugs from a motorcycle taxi driver. He allegedly discarded the package in a panic and fled the scene when approached by police. The 32-year-old was able to prove that he did not order the package. It was sent by a drug dealer friend, identified only as Nicky, and Parker was told someone would pick it up from him shortly afterwards. The trial, which began at the Denpasar District Court last month, heard Parker initially refused to collect the package but was assured by Nicky that it was safe and would not put him in danger. Indonesia has very strict drug laws and people convicted of drug trafficking can be executed by a firing squad. After police established the package was not directly linked to Parker, the initial charge of drug trafficking was reduced to the lesser offence of hiding information from authorities. The prosecution had sought a year-long prison sentence for Parker, but judges reduced the term as the electrician regretted his actions and had no previous convictions. After the panel of three judges handed down the sentence, Parker said he accepted the verdict and would not be lodging an appeal. "I really, really regret everything that has happened," he said. "I am sorry."
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
British man sentenced in Bali after facing death penalty over MDMA package
A British man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison in Bali, Indonesia, for drug offences, after facing a charge that could have resulted in the death penalty. Thomas Parker, from Cumbria, was arrested on January 21 at a villa near Kuta beach after he allegedly collected a package containing drugs from a motorcycle taxi driver. According to court documents, police officers said Parker was "acting suspiciously" while collecting the package. When approached by police, he allegedly discarded the package and fled. He was later traced back to his villa and arrested. A lab test confirmed that the package contained just over one kilogram of MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy. During the police investigation, the 32-year-old electrician proved that he did not order the package, which was sent by a drug dealer friend named Nicky, whom Parker had known for around two years. Parker was told someone would pick it up shortly from him, and he was not promised money or anything else by Nicky in return. Police reduced the initial charge of drug trafficking, which carries a possible death sentence, to the less serious offense of hiding information from authorities after investigators determined that the package was not directly linked to him. During the trial, which began last month at the Denpasar District Court, Parker told the court he initially refused to collect the package but agreed to do it after Nicky assured him the package was safe and would not put him in danger. Prosecutors on May 6 sought a one-year prison term for Parker, but the judges said they reduced the penalty because Parker regretted his acts, had not been previously convicted and promised to reform. Parker sat silently as a panel of three judges at Denpasar District Court handed down the punishment. The judges also ordered the time he has already served since he was arrested to be deducted from his sentence, meaning he will be free in several months. After the judges read the sentence, Parker said that he accepted the verdict and will not appeal. Prosecutors must decide whether to accept it within a week. 'I really, really regret everything that has happened,' Parker said. 'I am sorry and will follow the judge's decision.' Indonesia has very strict drug laws and convicted traffickers can be executed by a firing squad. About 530 people are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, including 96 foreigners, Ministry of Immigration and Corrections' data showed. Indonesia's last executions, of an Indonesian and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016.
