Gardaí and the Defence Forces will put in place an unprecedented security operation when Daniel Kinahan arrives back in Ireland, including counterterrorism measures.
Sources told The Irish Times that Kinahan would be, by far, the most significant organised crime figure the Irish criminal justice system has dealt with.
One said Kinahan’s trial would be unprecedented as he will be the first head of a global drug cartel to go on trial in the State, assuming he is extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
He has been the day-to-day leader of the Kinahan cartel, based in Dubai for the last decade. Kinahan is also a member of the European super cartel, which controls about a third of the cocaine trade in Europe. It is effectively a coalition of European mafias, including the Italian mafia.
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Asked about the arrest in Dubai, Taoiseach Micheál Martin declined to comment or even name Kinahan, though he said the new extradition agreement in place between Ireland and the UAE was “working effectively”.
“I think that’s positive because we work globally with other countries on matters of this kind, and it’s good to see that we have that good sharing of information and operational strength in terms of the relationship,” he said.
Kinahan (48), a married father from Dublin, was arrested in Dubai last Friday.
Kinahan was never under investigation in Dubai and faced no charges there. The execution of the Irish arrest warrant last week – by Dubai police on behalf of Ireland – was the first time he was arrested there.
Kinahan has been at the centre of a Garda investigation into the cartel’s crimes in Ireland for years, with a file sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in 2023. Though a decision to charge him took almost three years, the DPP recently directed he be charged with organised crime offences related to the Kinahan-Hutch feud.
[ Daniel Kinahan may not be free again until he is in his 70sOpens in new window ]
That began the first steps of the extradition process, in Ireland, all done secretly last week. A warrant for his arrest was issued by the High Court in Dublin and immediately sent to the UAE authorities. Dubai police confirmed its arrest operation on Friday was based on the Irish warrant, which it pointed out was executed less than 48 hours after being received.
A number of gardaí with decades of service in the force said Kinahan was a more significant criminal figure than anyone previously on trial. One said he posed “unprecedented risks”.
They said the prospect that he may try to escape custody, including while being transported from prison for court appearances, would be a big consideration when the security operation was being planned.
That would mean being driven around in convoy surrounded by armed gardaí, with support from the Defence Forces. Buildings would also be swept for explosives and concealed weapons, precautions usually forming part of counterterrorism operations.
Though it is technically possible Kinahan could be extradited within weeks, certainly by late May or early June, gardaí believe the process will probably take much longer. They expect him to challenge his extradition, especially as he will be the first person ever extradited to the Republic under a new treaty agreed with the UAE.
[ Why did the Kinahans not leave their base in Dubai?Opens in new window ]
In the event he mounts a legal challenge, hoping to find shortcomings in the new extradition treaty, gardaí believe he may not be extradited for another six to eight months.
When his close associate, Sean McGovern, was arrested in Dubai in October 2024 for extradition to Ireland, he was not extradited until May 2025. McGovern’s extradition went ahead under a special once-off arrangement between the UAE and Ireland. A permanent extradition treaty has been activated since then.
