Ireland's PM hails 'strong relationship' with UAE following Kinahan arrest
Ireland's Prime Minister Micheal Martin has thanked the UAE for its cooperation following the arrest of the alleged drug kingpin Daniel Kinahan. He praised the "strong relationship" and extradition partnership with the UAE after Dubai Police executed an international arrest warrant issued by Irish authorities.Kinahan, 48, faces extradition to Ireland where he will face trial, likely in Dublin's Special Criminal Court, which handles terrorism and serious organised crime. He is alleged to have run a multi-billion-dollar drug operation.Kinahan and his organisation were publicly named and sanctioned by the US in 2022, but there was no formal arrest warrant until Irish authorities issued one on April 15.The arrest confirms "the strong relationship with the United Arab Emirates in terms of extradition arrangements", Mr Martin told Irish media.Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Justice, said in a statement: "In recent years, the UAE and Ireland have worked closely together to advance criminal investigations into serious and organised crime, including the agreement of bilateral treaties on extradition and mutual legal assistance in 2025."I have spoken today with my UAE counterpart Minister of Justice, His Excellency Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, to express my thanks and to acknowledge the strong judicial co-operation in criminal matters between Ireland and the UAE."He said due process will take its course. Neither side has formally named Kinahan as the arrested man.Dubai Police on Friday announced an Irish citizen had been arrested over allegations he played a role in an organised criminal group involved in international crimes.Authorities only listed the suspect's initials and did not release his full name.He was apprehended within 48 hours of an arrest warrant being issued on April 15, "following intensive surveillance operations", Dubai Media Office said.The arrest, which happened in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, comes as part of ongoing efforts to tackle organised crime and pursue internationally wanted individuals, Dubai Police said.Kinahan's right-hand man Sean McGovern was the first suspect from the Kinahan organisation to be extradited from the UAE. He is awaiting sentence by Ireland's Special Criminal Court for organised crime offences.
