'Crime cartel boss' Daniel Kinahan charged in Ireland after dramatic extradition from Dubai

'Crime cartel boss' Daniel Kinahan charged in Ireland after dramatic extradition from Dubai Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly says the arrest shows the force's determination to 'target transnational organised crime groups' Don't Miss Most Read Latest Alleged cartel boss Daniel Kinahan has been charged with directing a criminal organisation after being extradited from Dubai to Ireland. An Irish Government jet had landed in Dublin on Sunday after picking up Mr Kinahan in the UAE. The 49-year-old arrived at Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel on Sunday evening after spending more than a decade away from the Emerald Isle. The alleged crime boss was flown home after losing his final legal battle against extradition from the United Arab Emirates. Mr Kinahan, who was accompanied on the flight by armed guards, has now been remanded in custody after appearing before Ireland's Special Criminal Court. Crowds turned up to wait outside the building close to the city’s Phoenix Park in hopes of seeing him. They saw two rapid convoys arrive separately as part of the high-stakes security operation. Mr Kinahan appeared in the dock wearing a black hoodie and appeared calm, putting on a pair of dark-rimmed glasses and taking a sip of water from a bottle after taking his seat. He was not represented by a lawyer during the brief hearing before three judges. He told the court: “I was taken in Dubai and isolated from Friday afternoon,” adding that he assumed a family member would have contacted a legal representative. But he added that he was happy to proceed with the hearing at that stage. Mr Kinahan, who was accompanied on the flight by armed guards, will now appear before Ireland's Special Criminal Court |REUTERS Mr Kinahan did not react after being charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation between October 18, 2015, and April 6, 2017. The 49-year-old will be held at the high-security Portlaoise Prison, around 90 miles southwest of Dublin. Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said his arrest showed the force's determination to "target transnational organised crime groups". Irish soldiers were mobilised for Mr Kinahan's return after the alleged crime boss escaped assassination. Mr Kinahan is accused of operating an international drug smuggling and money laundering empire which stretched across the British Isles, Spain and the United States. Thomas "Bomber" Kavanagh was sentenced to 21 years in prison after being accused of heading up the Kinahan gang's operations in the UK. Kavanagh lived in a mansion equipped with bulletproof glass and reinforced doors in Tamworth. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: People gather outside the Special Criminal Court where alleged Irish crime gang boss Daniel Kinahan is due to appear |REUTERS A police raid in 2019 recovered numerous weapons and £35,000 worth of cash in various currencies. However, Mr Kinahan also built a boxing empire while living in Dubai. He founded the management company MTK Global and established friendships with boxing heroes, including Tyson Fury. The father-of-five was interviewed by Scottish podcaster James English just days before he was extradited. Mr Kinahan admitted he had "not been an angel" but denied allegations of money laundering through boxing promotion. He added: "I think I've already got life in prison, James. "I think we're going to go through the dance now, and the circus, and then the character assassination even more." A member of the Garda stands outside the Special Criminal Court where alleged Irish crime gang boss Daniel Kinahan is due to appear on charges of organised criminal activity |REUTERS Mr Kinahan, 49, arrived at Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel on Sunday evening |PA Mr Kinahan's father, Christopher, still lives in Dubai but remains wanted after allegedly launching a heroin-importing cartel in the 1980s. The family was also involved in a fatal feud with a rival gang led by Gerry Hutch. Mr Kinahan was supposedly the target of an attack on the Regency Hotel in Dublin in February 2016. Gunmen disguised as armed police stormed a weigh-in at the Dublin hotel, killing Mr Kinahan's associate David Byrne. The attack was widely seen as a botched bid to assassinate Mr Kinahan, who had left the venue moments earlier. Patrick Hutch was later charged over Byrne's murder but the case collapsed. Gerry Hutch was also arrested in Spain before being acquitted at trial in 2023.