Bomb-proof van and prison upgraded ahead of crime boss Daniel Kinahan's extradition
A wing of Ireland's most high-security prison has undergone significant upgrades, and a bomb-proof vehicle has been acquired as prison authorities brace for the imminent arrival of Daniel Kinahan.The Irish Mirror has established that one of the most fortified sections of Portlaoise Prison has been fitted out with a library and a gym - facilities to which Kinahan will have exclusive access when he is expected to be remanded there within the coming weeks.The sweeping overhaul of security arrangements has seen the Irish Prison Service (IPS) dedicate an entire section of Portlaoise Prison solely to Kinahan - where he will be kept completely separate from the broader prison population.Within this area, he will have sole use of facilities including a gym and a library, while additional prison officers will be deployed to maintain security around the clock.These stringent measures follow an extensive review by the IPS, conducted in close consultation with Gardaí over recent months, reports the Irish Mirror.It has also come to light that the Irish Prison Service has acquired a cutting-edge bullet and bomb-proof vehicle, which will be deployed to transport Kinahan to the prison upon his arrival.The van, believed to have been procured in the UK, features ballistic protection capable of withstanding both gunfire and assault rifle rounds, along with reinforced flooring and panels engineered to resist explosives.Crucially, the vehicle is designed to be visually identical to the remainder of the Irish Prison Service's fleet - rendering it completely indistinguishable from standard prison transport. RTÉ was first to report that the van had been acquired.These extraordinary security arrangements have been finalised in recent weeks as Gardaí prepare to extradite Kinahan from Dubai in the coming weeks.The crime boss exhausted his final appeal in recent days through an expedited court process, meaning he could now be returned to Ireland at any moment.As previously reported, Gardaí had initially set a very early date this month following Kinahan's unsuccessful first appeal in Dubai. The criminal then exercised a final right to appeal to a higher court - which delayed those arrangements.However, that appeal has concluded sooner than anticipated - meaning a provisional September date has now been brought forward by several weeks.Final arrangements are understood to be in progress before Kinahan is flown back here within days and presented before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin. Sources indicate it could now occur at any time - with an August date most probable.Kinahan is expected to be flown out of Dubai on the government jet - though alternative military aircraft are available.Sources describe this as one of the most extraordinary and intricate security operations in the state's history - and confirm it will not be executed hastily.This follows podcaster James English's statement this week that Kinahan, whom he famously interviewed in 2022, was "looking forward" to returning to Ireland in the coming days. English, host of the 'Anything Goes' podcast, claimed that Kinahan's extradition back to Ireland was being "fast tracked".The podcaster, who had previously been unable to release a teased interview with Kinahan from several years ago, now asserts that Kinahan is prepared to give an interview.Writing on Instagram, Mr English said: "Ireland's Daniel Kinahan has lost his appeal in Dubai and will be extradited to Ireland."His case has been fast-tracked to days and not months in the Dubai courts system, so in my opinion looks like back deals have been going on."Daniel is looking forward to returning to the country that he has not lived in for 25 years. And for the first time he will be doing interviews to tell his story. More to come very soon."The Gardaí are seeking to prosecute Kinahan for directing a criminal organisation - an offence that carries a potential life sentence.Part of the evidence against him is believed to include encrypted communications discovered through the cracking of 'Pretty Good Privacy' (PGP) devices utilised by the cartel.The Gardaí are believed to claim that encrypted usernames identified as 'Bon Neww,' 'Bon4' and 'Cap', which corresponded with and issued instructions to Sean McGovern and others during the peak of the feud, were operated by Daniel Kinahan. During McGovern's case, the Special Criminal Court was presented with a conversation in which Sean McGovern told 'Cap' after the Regency Hotel shooting: "Mate I'm fuming I swear to God what about doing Mink's daughter or will that bring too much heat?".'Cap' replied, "Yes, but maybe only Neddie," in a message referring to Eddie Hutch, brother of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. These exchanges took place on 7 February 2016, merely a day before Eddie was fatally shot by the cartel at his Poplar Row residence in Dublin.Additional encrypted communications showed that the cartel's scheme to track down James Gately was initially conceived in October 2015, with 'Bon Neww' later instructing McGovern to pursue him in 2017."Hate the horrible rat bag. Get Mago," Bon Neww (allegedly Kinahan) told McGovern in April 2017.On 3 April 2017, Estonian hitman Imre Arakas arrived in Ireland and was apprehended by Gardaí the next day at Blakestown Cottages. Officers recovered a Blackberry device containing encrypted directives he was receiving from the account they believe belonged to Kinahan.The court was told how a member of the Garda Emergency Response Unit photographed the conversations before they were remotely wiped.In those exchanges, Arakas was discussing with 'Bon Neww' the use of a 'silencer' and shooting Gately in the head from a distance. The court also heard that 'Bon Neww' passed messages to Arakas, among them that Gately 'drives most days, he seems to go to Newry and back'.Gardaí additionally believe Kinahan was at the heart of, and physically present for, the killing of Eddie Hutch on February 8, 2016.The brother of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch was shot dead outside his home on Poplar Row in Dublin's Inner City, just three days after the Regency Hotel murder of Kinahan cartel associate David Byrne.It is believed that Kinahan had a direct, hands-on involvement in that killing, driven by a desire for retribution over his associate's murder - as well as the attempt on his own life at the boxing weigh-in event just days prior.Sources indicate that Gardaí believe a furious Kinahan subsequently orchestrated the cartel's campaign of murder and violence on Dublin's streets from overseas over the ensuing two years.
