DUBLIN – Sean McGovern, an alleged senior member of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, has been extradited from the United Arab Emirates to Ireland, marking a significant breakthrough in international law enforcement cooperation.
McGovern, who is wanted in connection with a 2016 murder and serious drug offences, arrived in Dublin on Thursday evening aboard an Irish military aircraft. His extradition follows his arrest by Dubai Police in October 2024, after an Interpol red notice was issued. He had been in custody in the UAE since then.
Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, while not naming McGovern directly, hailed the extradition as a milestone in Ireland’s ongoing fight against organised crime and proof of the “excellent criminal justice cooperation” between Ireland and the UAE.
“In recent years, the UAE and Ireland have worked together to advance criminal investigations into serious and organised crime,” O’Callaghan said. He noted that bilateral treaties on extradition and mutual legal assistance officially came into force on May 18, and credited the deployment of a Garda Liaison Officer to Abu Dhabi in 2024 as key to strengthening ties.
McGovern is described by Interpol as “one of Ireland’s most wanted fugitives.” He faces charges including murder and directing an organised crime group. He is also one of seven senior Kinahan figures sanctioned by US authorities. In 2022, the UAE froze assets linked to the group.
The extradition is believed to be the first from the UAE to Ireland, a development enabled through sustained diplomatic and law enforcement collaboration. Former Justice Minister Helen McEntee visited the UAE in October 2024, shortly after McGovern’s arrest, to finalise the treaties. Though McGovern’s case began prior to the treaties taking effect, the new agreements are expected to fast-track similar actions in the future.
“This certainly tightens the net,” said McEntee at the time, vowing that no criminal should think they can escape justice abroad. “Irrespective of where you go, we can bring you back home to face justice.”
The Kinahan gang, which rose to power in the late 1990s and early 2000s, remains the most powerful organised crime network to emerge from Ireland. McGovern’s extradition represents a major blow to the group’s operations and a firm message that Irish fugitives will no longer find safe haven abroad.
