The Irish government jet carrying suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan has departed Dubai for Dublin.
The 49-year-old was arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in April and is being extradited to the Republic of Ireland to face a charge of directing a criminal organisation.
Kinahan will be immediately charged upon his arrival in Dublin and then brought by gardaí (Irish police) to appear before the non-jury, three judge Special Criminal Court on Sunday evening.
A large-scale security operation is in place. Ahead of the extradition the Irish Prison Service bought a bulletproof and bombproof van which can be used to escort prisoners who are considered high-risk.
According to flight tracking data, the plane carrying Kinahan departed Dubai at 13:19 local time and is expected to land in Dublin before 19:00 local time on Sunday.
Irish authorities are expected to prosecute him for his involvement in leading an organised crime group.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has previously said that the Kinahan cartel has been responsible for importing tonnes of drugs and firearms around the world and has also been linked to more than a dozen gangland murders.
Kinahan is not only wanted by the authorities in Ireland – the US Treasury Department once described the Kinahan cartel as one of the most dangerous in the world.
The US government imposed sanctions on Kinahan in April 2022 after he and other members of his family were identified as leaders of the Kinahan organised crime cartel.
He fought attempts to extradite him back to his native country, where the Kinahan cartel was involved in a long-running gangland feud that claimed 18 lives.
