Kinahan cartel, not the Hutch gang, is now facing knockout

It is now up to Dubai judges to decide whether or not to send Sean McGovern back to Ireland. 'It’s in the hands of UAE courts now,' said a security source, 'but our work is not over until they are all locked up'

Up to 70 active cartel members, associates, hired gunmen, and low-level criminals have been prosecuted and jailed. File picture: PA

This time eight years ago, the Hutch gang was down and out and the referee was doing the slow count to 10.

What was known as the “Kinahan-Hutch feud” had reached its nadir.

Some nine people were murdered by this stage in 2016, starting with the infamous military-style attack during a professional boxing show weigh-in at the Regency Hotel in Dublin in February.

There the Kinahan gang boss Daniel Kinahan just about escaped death but one of his top associates David Byrne was not so lucky.

Sean McGovern was injured but survived the Regency Hotel attack. Picture: Garda.ie

Another senior lieutenant, Sean McGovern, was injured but survived.

That highly-planned attack was in revenge for the murder of Gary Hutch, a then high-level figure within the Kinahan cartel, in Spain the previous September.

Regency was an utter humiliation for the Kinahan leadership and they launched an extermination campaign, the likes of which had never before been witnessed in Ireland, in terms of its intensity and recklessness.

Not only were the wider Hutch family considered "fair game", regardless of their involvement in crime, but it turned out, so too was anyone remotely linked to the Hutch gang.

Eight murders followed up to August, including two completely innocent people — Martin O’Rourke and Trevor O’Neill — who were not the intended targets.

Then, that December, the Kinahan blood lust continued, with the deliberate murder of a third innocent person, Noel Kirwan.

A native of the north inner city and childhood neighbour of the Hutch brothers, he had attended the funeral that February of Eddie Hutch Sr, where he was seen, and photographed, beside Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch.

In all, the Kinahan cartel is linked to 16 murders in the feud.

Hutch arrest

When Gerry Hutch was arrested in Spain in April 2021, and extradited to Ireland that September, it looked like both he and his gang were never getting up.

How things have changed.

Due to the work of the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and local detective units, up to 70 active cartel members, associates, hired gunmen, and low-level criminals have been prosecuted and jailed.

In March 2022, the leader of the British arm of the Kinahan cartel, Thomas ‘Bomber’ Kavanagh, was jailed for 21 years for industrial levels of cocaine importation into the country.

The following month, the US joined Irish and British law-enforcement agencies in launching an international operation targeting Christy, Daniel, and Christopher Jr, comprising a combined €5m reward for information leading to their arrest and a range of financial sanctions affecting their wealth, business dealings, and international travel.

Cartel figures named

At an event in Dublin, presided over by then assistant commissioner John O’Driscoll, who was the public figurehead of the Kinahan investigations, four other senior cartel figures were named, including McGovern. Mr O’Driscoll passed away suddenly last month after just a short period of retirement.

The US Department of the Treasury described McGovern as “Daniel Kinahan’s adviser and closest confidant” and said that “evidence indicates that all dealings with Daniel Kinahan go through Sean McGovern".

It said McGovern also “managed communications on behalf of Daniel Kinahan, and he sells multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine”.

A year later, Gerry Hutch was found not guilty by the Special Criminal Court of the murder of David Byrne — an emotional sucker punch for the Kinahan leadership and the Byrne family.

Gerry Hutch was found not guilty by the Special Criminal Court of the murder of David Byrne. Picture: Sam Boal/PA

The court said there was a “reasonable possibility” that Regency was planned by Patsy Hutch, bother of Gerry and father of murdered Gary.

Last December, the head of the Byrne organised crime group, Liam Byrne, brother of David, was extradited from Spain and brought to court in England to face perverting the course of justice and serious firearms charges.

Both he and Kavanagh have since pleaded guilty to the charges and face a lengthy period in jail.

In September 2023, Commissioner Drew Harris paid an official visit to the UAE where he met top authorities, including in relation to the Kinahan cartel.

There followed statements from Justice Minister Helen McEntee about contacting her counterpart in the UAE and efforts to draw up a formal extradition agreement.

Dubai police visited Dublin and there was regular trips back and forth between both investigators and department officials to progress matters.

Then yesterday came news that Dubai police had arrested McGovern in relation to the murder of Mr Kirwan and for directing a criminal organisation.

In the absence of an extradition treaty, it is now up to Dubai judges to decide whether or not to send McGovern back to Ireland.

“It’s in the hands of UAE courts now,” said a security source, “but our work is not over until they are all locked up”.