Suspected Irish gang leader Daniel Kinahan has been extradited from Dubai to Ireland. An Irish military aircraft left the United Arab Emirates with him on board on Sunday morning.
The aircraft was due to land within hours at Casement Aerodrome, a military airfield near Dublin, DR reports, citing the Irish public broadcaster RTÉ. Kinahan is to be charged immediately on arrival with directing a criminal organization.
According to DR, a bullet and bomb proof vehicle bought for the occasion was waiting on the ground. It is to carry Kinahan to a court hearing, where three judges will decide whether he is remanded in custody.
If he is remanded, it will be at Portlaoise Prison, which has been given extra security in anticipation of his arrival, DR reports. The prison is Ireland’s highest security facility for serious criminal cases.
BBC reported that the Irish government jet had departed Dubai with the 49-year-old on board. BBC also described the case as the first extradition from the UAE to Ireland, carried out under a bilateral extradition treaty.
As reported by BBC, officers from An Garda Síochána were expected to detain Kinahan on arrival and bring charges before the Special Criminal Court. That court sits with three judges and no jury in organized crime and terrorism cases.
Kinahan was arrested in Dubai in April 2026 following an extradition request from Ireland, and he had fought the transfer since then. RTÉ reported at the time that Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the arrest reflected Ireland’s strong relationship with the UAE on extradition arrangements.
Irish authorities believe Kinahan leads a gang together with his father and brother, DR reports. The group is suspected of large-scale drug and weapons trafficking and of involvement in more than 12 gang-related killings. All three are also wanted by the United States Department of Justice.
Why the transfer happened now
The Irish Times reported in April 2026 that the extradition bid would be the first real test of the new Ireland-UAE extradition treaty. According to the paper, the treaty followed earlier diplomatic agreements and entered into force in 2026.
BBC reported that the Irish and Emirati justice ministers issued a joint statement welcoming the transfer and praising judicial cooperation. Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, thanked the UAE for the cooperation and called the case a landmark for judicial cooperation between the two countries.
DR notes that a shooting at a Dublin hotel in February 2016 prompted Kinahan to leave Ireland. One man was killed and two were wounded in that attack. He then lived for a period in Spain before settling in Dubai, where he worked in boxing.
