A high-ranking team from the Garda recently made a trip to United Arab Emirates (UAE) to converse about the particulars of extraditing Sean McGovern, a key figure of the Kinahan cartel and a suspect in the Kinahan-Hutch feud murder. McGovern, a native of Dublin, was apprehended in Dubai prior to the signing of an extradition treaty between Ireland and the UAE last week. This implies that McGovern can’t be extradited under the fresh treaty which doesn’t apply retrospectively, hence necessitating a special single-use procedure.
In light of this, the Garda, DPP and the Irish Government are very keen to make sure that the request to extradite McGovern client meets the required legal standards for the UAE to agree on sending the murder suspect back to Ireland for trial.
Headed by Det Chief Supt Seamus Boland of the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau, the Garda’s delegation to the UAE also included high-ranking officers from the Garda’s Organised & Serious Crime unit, as well as members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, who deal with serious crimes.
A senior official from the Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon, France, and a Garda liaison officer residing permanently in the UAE, were present for the meeting in Dubai. After their return to Dublin, a statement was issued by Garda headquarters saying that the purpose of the team was to discuss “ongoing police cooperation” aimed at the “relentless pursuit of organised crime groups in Ireland and overseas” with the leading members of the Dubai police.
The Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, in his recent statement, applauded the newly signed extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties between Ireland and the UAE, hailing it as a favourable move. He stated that this step reflects the unrelenting dedication of global law enforcement and governments to confront transnational organized crime. The Commissioner also noted that this move is a testament to the ongoing policing, political and diplomatic efforts to track down and bring to justice global organised crime syndicates and specific individuals involved in such activities.
Sean McGovern, a 38-year-old man, was taken into custody at his residence in Dubai on the 10th of October. This comes about two and half years after the revelation that the Irish authorities were seeking his extradition to press serious charges sanctioned by the DPP. McGovern, who sustained injuries in the 2016 Regency Hotel shooting, is wanted in the Republic to answer charges related to the murder of 62-year-old Noel Kirwan in Dublin, and for orchestrating organised crime.
Kirwan, who was not involved in any criminal activity, was shot dead in the ongoing Kinahan-Hutch feud due to his connections with the Hutch family, who counted him as one of their friends.
Living in Dubai without any concealment in the past years, McGovern presumably thought that he would evade capture. He is, however, currently the foremost individual linked to the Kinahan cartel to be held in the UAE and is still in custody there. McGovern’s Dublin residence in Crumlin was commandeered by the Criminal Assets Bureau. Recently, in 2022, the United States Department of the Treasury credited him as the key advisor and confidant of Daniel Kinahan, adding that McGovern is the entree point to all dealings with Kinahan.