The main leaders of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group face being returned to Ireland as it emerged that a new extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates is to be ratified ‘very soon’.
Kinahan gang members, including main players Daniel Kinahan and Christy Kinahan Jnr, face being sent back to Ireland to face serious charges for murder, drugs and firearms offences.
The DPP is now considering criminal charges against them following the submission of an official garda investigation file.
While gardaí believe that the upper echelons of the cartel are based in the Emirates, there have been fears that their connections with the Russian mafia will allow them to evade arrest there and that they could flee to Moscow.
Senior Kinahan gang leader Sean McGovern, who is wanted in Ireland for murder, is already in custody, having been arrested in Dubai three months ago.
However, there are potential legal problems as Mr McGovern was arrested prior to this extradition treaty being in place.
It remains to be seen if Mr McGovern can be sent back to Ireland due to this reason.
Speaking yesterday, new Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said the new extradition treaty would be ratified ‘promptly’.
‘I want to commend Minister McEntee (former justice minister) for that excellent piece of work.
‘That treaty needs to be ratified and once it’s ratified, then it can come into operation, and any individuals who need to be extradited, hopefully, will be extradited.
‘I would have thought that ratification will be done very quickly.
‘It could be done without debate, and I suspect it will be done without debate.
‘Any persons who have been involved in criminal activity in Ireland, I would like them seeing them extradited back here to face the arms of the law.’
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris would not be drawn on commenting on the Kinahan gang but said that the ratification of the treaty will be down to the trojan work of diplomats.
‘I know there’s been a huge political and diplomatic effort that has gone into that. And in effect, then that places Ireland in a favourable position with the UAE.
‘But again, that has been a huge political and diplomatic effort, and I think that is something that we should all welcome, and certainly we hope to see a very positive outlook.
‘What I would say is that’s a political arrangement between two sovereign nations as law enforcement.
‘It’s our duty to investigate and report to the DPP, who then decide on precedence and extradition.
‘Beyond that, there is a judicial proceeding, and in effect, we’ve done our job when we presented a file of evidence to the DPP.’
