Daniel Kinahan has been extradited to Ireland from the United Arab Emirates following a years-long international manhunt.
The 49-year-old is the alleged head of one of Europe’s most notorious organised crime groups and a figure with long-standing links to the Costa del Sol.
The alleged crime boss arrived at Casement Aerodrome, southwest of Dublin, aboard an Irish government aircraft on Sunday.
He travelled under heavy police guard before appearing before Ireland’s Special Criminal Court, where he was accused of directing an organised criminal group.
An extensive security operation involving Irish police, the Garda, defence forces and the Irish Prison Service was prepared for his arrival.
Kinahan was expected to be transferred to the maximum-security Portlaoise Prison in a recently acquired armoured and bomb-proof escort vehicle.
His return to Ireland represents a dramatic development in the authorities’ years-long pursuit of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, which has particularly strong historical connections to the southern Spain.
Arrested in Dubai
Kinahan was arrested in Dubai on April 17 after Irish authorities issued a warrant for his arrest and submitted an extradition dossier outlining the charges against him and his alleged role within the organisation.
He had been living in Dubai for around a decade.
At the end of July, Kinahan lost his final appeal against extradition, clearing the way for his return to his native Ireland.
The Kinahan Organised Crime Group emerged in Ireland during the 1990s and has since developed into an international criminal network with alleged operations in countries including Spain, the UK and the UAE.
Spain, and particularly the Costa del Sol, has featured prominently in the group’s history.
The organisation was founded by Daniel’s father, Christopher Vincent Kinahan, but Daniel has been described by law enforcement authorities as a leading operational figure in the organisation.
The group has been linked to international drug trafficking and money laundering as well as a bloody gangland feud in Ireland.
Its links to southern Spain were thrust into the international spotlight in 2015 following a shooting at the five-star The Westin La Quinta Golf Resort & Spa near Marbella.
Irish criminal Gary Hutch was shot dead at the complex, a murder which helped trigger the deadly Hutch-Kinahan feud.
The violence subsequently spilled onto the streets of Dublin, resulting in a string of killings.
Kinahan himself also survived the infamous 2016 Regency Hotel shooting in Dublin, when armed attackers targeted a boxing weigh-in.
$5million reward
International pressure on the Kinahan organisation intensified dramatically in 2022 when the US government imposed sanctions on several alleged senior members of the group.
American authorities also offered rewards of up to $5million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Daniel Kinahan, his father Christopher and his brother Christopher Jr.
Daniel Kinahan has additionally been a controversial figure in international boxing, where he previously acted as an adviser to several prominent fighters.
His extradition from the UAE marks one of the most significant developments yet in the international effort to dismantle the Kinahan organisation.
He is expected to face the Irish courts following his arrival on Sunday.
