Daniel Kinahan has lost his final in Dubai and is set to be extradited back to Ireland to face trial.
Kinahan, one of the leaders of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, is to be extradited back to Ireland, as An Garda Síochána, Defence Forces and the Departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs make preparations for this extradition.
Kinahan is to remain in custody in Dubai, before he is handed over to the Gardaí, which is expected to happen in the next six weeks.
This comes after he was arrested on April 17 as part of a bilateral agreement between Ireland and the United Arab Emirates, and has been detained there since. He is wanted in Ireland on a charge of directing activities of a criminal gang.
He was arrested following an intensive Garda investigation, with a file being submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who directed that he be charged with the Organised Crime offence. A warrant was secured by Gardaí for Kinahan's arrest in the High Court in Ireland, before being transferred to the UAE authorities.
It was revealed by RTÉ that Justice Minister, Jim O'Callaghan had been in direct contact with the UAE authorities, to thank them for their co operation in this case.
He added that the Government's aims are to extradite him back to Ireland so he can face charges here, but stated that nobody has been convicted of anything yet.
Mr O'Callaghan said that the arrest shows that "persons against whom serious charges are laid, can't evade responsibility and can't evade facing trial because we have agreements all over the world with other countries".
Kinahan, who is due to face trial at the Special Criminal Court, is expected to be escorted back on an Air Corps 295 and flown from Baldonnel to pick him up in Dubai, the same way that Sean McGovern was escorted last year.
Sean McGovern, Kinahan's right hand man, was extradited last year, and pleaded guilty to charges of directing a criminal gang regarding the surveillance of rival Hutch gang member, James 'Mago' Gately, and the murder of an innocent grandfather, Noel Kirwan.
So far, more than 50 Kinahan gang members have been sent to jail in Ireland over the last few years for a variety of criminal offences, including murder. Senior members of the gang, Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh, and Liam Byrne were convicted in the UK.
