DUBLIN — Sean McGovern, a senior figure in the Kinahan organised crime syndicate and a close confidant of Daniel Kinahan, is being extradited to Ireland to face charges of murder and directing a criminal organisation, following a high-profile handover by authorities in the United Arab Emirates.
The Irish Mirror has learned that McGovern, 38, was formally transferred to the custody of An Garda SÃochána earlier today and is currently en route to Dublin aboard a €120 million Air Corps Casa C295 maritime surveillance aircraft. The operation, led by Irish authorities, marks a pivotal development in the state’s ongoing efforts to dismantle the Kinahan cartel.
The aircraft departed Dubai International Airport within the last hour and is expected to arrive in Ireland late tomorrow afternoon. McGovern, originally from Crumlin, will be arrested upon landing and brought before the Special Criminal Court, where he will face serious criminal charges.
The extradition follows McGovern’s arrest in Dubai in October 2023, executed at the request of Irish authorities following a directive from the Director of Public Prosecutions. He is to be charged with the December 2016 murder of Noel Kirwan, 62, who was gunned down in the driveway of his west Dublin home. Investigators believe Mr. Kirwan, an innocent man, was targeted solely due to his association with Gerry “The Monk” Hutch, a prominent figure in the long-running Kinahan-Hutch feud.
That feud, which has claimed at least 18 lives, escalated after the 2016 shooting at the Regency Hotel, a failed assassination attempt on Daniel Kinahan that resulted in the death of Kinahan associate David Byrne. McGovern himself was wounded in the incident but refused to cooperate with law enforcement.
In addition to the murder charge, Gardaà are expected to formally charge McGovern with directing a criminal organisation — an offence under Irish law that carries a potential life sentence. The United States sanctioned McGovern in April 2022 alongside Daniel Kinahan and his father and brother, Christy and Christopher Kinahan, describing the group as a transnational organised crime syndicate.
McGovern had fought extradition for several months but ultimately lost his legal challenge. At the time of his arrest, Ireland and the UAE did not have a formal extradition treaty, but diplomatic efforts led by then-Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris were instrumental in securing his transfer.
Officials believe McGovern played a “central” role in the murder of Noel Kirwan. “He was heavily involved in this whole thing,” a Garda source told the Sunday Mirror last October, indicating that McGovern personally tracked Kirwan’s movements and was in close proximity at the time of the shooting.
While McGovern’s return to Ireland represents a breakthrough, the fate of the Kinahan cartel’s most senior members remains uncertain. Daniel, Christy, and Christopher Kinahan continue to reside in the UAE, and while Gardaà are seeking to bring charges against them, the DPP has not yet made a determination.
Law enforcement authorities declined to issue a formal statement when contacted on Wednesday evening. However, the repatriation of Sean McGovern signals a turning point in Ireland’s pursuit of justice against one of the country’s most violent and well-funded criminal enterprises.
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