Daniel Kinahan extradited from Dubai to Ireland over crime gang charges

London,UPDATED: Aug 10, 2026 17:46 IST

Daniel Kinahan, alleged to be the leader of an Irish organised crime gang, was extradited from Dubai to Ireland on Sunday to face allegations that he ran an international drug-smuggling and money-laundering network with links to Britain, Spain and the US.

An Irish Air Corps plane carrying Kinahan, 49, landed at an airport on the outskirts of Dublin on Sunday evening after courts in Dubai refused to block his extradition. He was taken to Ireland's Special Criminal Court in Dublin, where he was charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation. He was ordered to remain in custody at the high-security Portlaoise Prison, about 145 km southwest of the capital, and is due back in court on October 5.

Ireland's Special Criminal Court handles organised crime and terrorism cases, along with others in which prosecutors believe ordinary courts are inadequate to ensure the effective administration of justice. Such cases are heard by a panel of three judges without a jury.

Irish media reported that a major security operation was put in place to bring Kinahan to Dublin. According to Irish broadcaster RTE, it involved armed police, members of the armed forces and the prison service, which recently acquired a bombproof escort van to transport organised crime suspects, terrorists and other high-risk prisoners.

The security measures came after members of Kinahan's family were linked to a gang war with another Irish organised crime group. US authorities said in 2022 that the feud had led to 18 murders when they announced a reward of up to USD 5 million for information leading to the disruption of the Kinahan organisation or the arrest and conviction of Daniel Kinahan.

"Since February 2016, the (Kinahan Organised Crime Group) has been involved in a gang war with another group in Ireland and Spain, resulting in numerous murders, including of two innocent bystanders," the US Treasury Department said when it sanctioned six members of the Kinahan gang and three businesses linked to it.

Irish police, with help from authorities in Britain, Spain and the US, have been pursuing members of the Kinahan gang since at least 2016, when the feud led to a daytime shooting during the weigh-in for a boxing match at a Dublin hotel. Kinahan was a boxing promoter at the time.

Authorities allege the gang smuggled tens of millions of dollars' worth of illegal drugs, including cocaine and cannabis, as well as guns, into Europe, and then used a network of apparently legitimate businesses to launder the profits.

The US Treasury said Kinahan is believed to have run the gang's day-to-day operations from his base in Dubai. That included buying "large quantities of cocaine" from South America, organising its distribution in Ireland and attempting to smuggle drugs into the UK, it said.

Treasury also said Kinahan instructed gang members to deliver money to several people in prison, including one person convicted of attempting to murder someone on behalf of the organisation. He was detained by Dubai authorities in April on an Irish arrest warrant.

In a phone interview with Scottish podcaster James English last week, Kinahan denied being an organised crime boss and said he was the victim of a conspiracy to damage his reputation. He said the extradition proceedings were sped up because of a deal between the Irish and Dubai governments, but added that he hoped his trial in Dublin would help clear his name.

"I believe, in a way, I am a scapegoat," he said in the interview posted on TikTok. "And anyone that looks into this so-called feud that they say they have created, then you will see, you will see things yourself if someone has the time to look into it."

In March 2022, Thomas "Bomber" Kavanagh, described as the head of the Kinahan organisation in Britain, was sentenced to 21 years in prison after being convicted of orchestrating drug shipments into the UK. Two other men were sentenced to 20 years and 19.5 years for their roles in the crimes.

During that investigation, police found 15 kg of cocaine and 220 kg of cannabis hidden inside asphalt removal equipment fitted with a tracking device at the port of Dover, Britain's Crime Agency said at the time of Kavanagh's sentencing. The agency also said Kavanagh lived in a mansion in Tamworth, northeast of Birmingham, fitted with bulletproof glass and reinforced doors. When police raided the property in 2019, they seized several weapons and 35,000 pounds in cash in various currencies, including Emirati dirhams, euros and British pounds.

Kinahan has now been brought back to Ireland, charged in Dublin and remanded in custody, as authorities continue to pursue the case linked to the alleged organised crime network and its international operations.

With PTI Inputs

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