Daniel Kinahan,the alleged Irish cartel boss who once moved through boxing circles with the sort of access most promoters would sell a kidney for, is now expected to get a rather different kind of VIP transfer: an Irish government jet from Dubai to Dublin.
The jet travelled to the United Arab Emirates this weekend as part of a high-security extradition operation after Kinahan, 49, was arrested in Dubai in April on a warrant issued by the Irish courts.
The Irish Times reported that the Defence Forces flight left Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, at 11.30 am SAST (10.30 am Irish time) on Saturday aboard a Dassault Falcon 6X, chosen because it can fly direct to Dubai without a refuelling stop.
The Journal reported that the jet had landed in Dubai, with Kinahan expected to be returned to Ireland on Sunday after recently losing an appeal against extradition.
Once back in Dublin, he is expected to be taken to the Special Criminal Court to face a charge of allegedly directing the activities of an organised crime group. The Irish Examiner reports that Irish police, the Defence Forces and the Irish Prison Service are all involved in the return operation.
This is not a normal prisoner transfer, in other words. This is the state sending the good plane.
The legal route matters here. Ireland and the UAE signed an extradition treaty in Abu Dhabi on 21 October 2024, and Ireland’s Extradition (United Arab Emirates) Order 2025 came into operation on 18 May 2025, according to the Irish Statute Book.
The US Treasury sanctioned Daniel Joseph Kinahan in 2022, saying he was designated for allegedly acting on behalf of the Kinahan Organized Crime Group. Its Office of Foreign Assets Control also designated the group itself as a significant transnational criminal organisation.
“The Kinahan Organized Crime Group smuggles deadly narcotics, including cocaine, to Europe, and is a threat to the entire licit economy through its role in international money laundering,” US Treasury official Brian E. Nelson said at the time.
BBC reports that the US has offered a reward of up to $5 million (about R89 million) for information on Daniel Kinahan, his father Christopher Kinahan Senior and his brother Christopher Kinahan Junior.
Kinahan denies the allegations. His lawyer previously told BBC Panorama that he has “no criminal record or convictions” and that allegations about him being a crime boss are “false” and have “no evidential basis”.
That denial belongs in the story because Kinahan has not been convicted of the Irish charge he is expected to face.
The plane, though, is already doing its own kind of talking.
[Sources: BBC, The Irish Times, The Journal, Irish Examiner, Irish Statute Book & US Treasury]