Leading Kinahan gang figure Sean McGovern being extradited from UAE to Ireland

The Dubliner is wanted to face charges in Ireland relating to the Kinahan-Hutch feud, including murder and involvement in a criminal gang

Sean McGovern. Photo: Garda.ie

One of the most senior figures in the Kinahan organised crime cartel is headed back to Ireland after being extradited by the United Arab Emirates.

Sean McGovern, described as cartel leader Daniel Kinahan's right-hand man, is wanted in Ireland in relation to murder and involvement in a criminal gang.

He is expected back in Ireland on Thursday after being put on a plane and may appear in court before the weekend, it is believed.

It is the latest blow to the cartel, which grew from a Dublin street gang in the 1980s and 1990s to one of the most powerful organised crime outfits in the world before the international authorities including the US Justice Department began to dismantle its operations.

Under the leadership of Christy Kinahan Sr and subsequently his sons Daniel and Christopher Jr, the Kinahans are said to be responsible for a range of murders, drug trafficking, and criminal rackets across Europe and beyond.

Sean McGovern, who is originally from Crumlin in Dublin, was put on to an Irish air corps military jet on Wednesday morning months after being detained in the Gulf state where the leaders of the outfit have based themselves in recent years.

Interpol issued a warrant from McGovern’s arrest as he is wanted in Ireland to face charges in connection with alleged organised crime. He is suspected of involvement in the murder of Noel Kirwan, an innocent victim in the fallout of the Regency Hotel shooting in 2016 which shocked the nation.

The shooting at a boxing event weigh-in left one dead but not the intended target, Daniel Kinahan. The aftermath saw an escalation of violence as the Kinahan cartel targeted the Hutch criminal gang, with around 19 deaths between the factions as the feud intensified.

Gardaí believe this extradition is highly significant and hope that McGovern’s boss Daniel Kinahan will now face the same process.

McGovern was previously targeted by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and suffered gunshot wounds in the stomach during the Regency hotel attack in February 2016.

Gardaí have also sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) seeking to bring a murder charge against Daniel Kinahan in relation to the murder of Eddie Hutch.

McGovern had been in custody in Dubai since last October after being arrested there on foot of an Interpol red notice - a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.

Speaking following McGovern's arrest in the UAE last October, Interpol secretary-general Jürgen Stock described him as "one of Ireland's most wanted individuals". He said the arrest was made possible thanks to the combined efforts Irish authorities and the United Arab Emirates.

“Cases like this underline the value of international police cooperation via Interpol’s global network, and again highlights that no fugitive can consider themselves safe from justice," he added.