Kinahan boss' extradition shatters the illusion Irish gangsters are untouchable

Members of the Kinahan Cartel and their associates long considered Dubai to be a sun-drenched safe haven.
For years, the organisation's hierarchy acted as puppet masters - pulling the strings of foot soldiers who wreaked havoc on Irish streets - directly from their plush base in the Gulf State.
Senior members acted with absolute impunity and believed they would never be held accountable for their actions.
Last October, two significant developments fractured that illusion. Daniel Kinahan's loyal right-hand man Sean McGovern was arrested at his home in Dubai - more than two years after a European arrest warrant and an Interpol Red Notice were issued.
The next was when former Justice Minister Helen McEntee signed an extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates which ultimately paved the way for his return.
McGovern spent months fighting his extradition - his attempts, however, were futile. Years of running, ducking and evading the law were coming to an end.
On Monday morning, an Irish Air Corps Airbus C295 plane left the Casement Aerodrome on the outskirts of Dublin. It made stops in Marseille in France and Larnaca in Cyprus before landing at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai on Tuesday afternoon.
Around 24 hours later on Wednesday evening, the plane was back in the sky and was heading back to Ireland - the only difference was that McGovern was now on board.
It took the same route back before touching down on a wet, miserable and dreary evening in Dublin - far removed from the sun-soaked scenes he became accustomed to in the UAE over the last eight years.
As the wheels met the soaked tarmac of the Dublin military runaway - any belief that Irish gangsters were untouchable in Dubai were well and truly shattered.
The C295 plane, which had a call sign of IRL285, officially landed at 6.28pm. Within minutes, a helicopter began circling the area.
A number of marked and unmarked Garda cars were also spotted in the vicinity.
Camera crews, members of the media along with a small group of public spectators gathered outside the entrance to the Casement Aerodrome.
Within minutes of his feet touching Irish soil for the first time in years, McGovern was put into the back of an unmarked Garda and whisked towards the courts.
At 6.51pm, the gates suddenly opened. A silver unmarked Audi led a four-vehicle convoy and turned right onto Baldonnel Road towards the Criminal Courts of Justice on Parkgate Street. It was closely followed by a dark silver Skoda.
The back windows of this vehicle were blacked out and it is believed to have been carrying McGovern. A black Hyundai SUV and an unmarked blue Golf R were also used.
Within seconds, the convoy disappeared - whizzing through the streets of the capital as blue lights and sirens wailed.
Thursday night marked the culmination of years of tireless work by the Gardaí who pursued McGovern relentlessly. He also made history yesterday by becoming the first person to be extradited from the UAE to Ireland.
McGovern's arrest and extradition, which seems to have gone off without a hitch, will no doubt give the Gardaí the confidence to pursue others like the Dapper Don and his two sons Daniel and Christopher Kinahan Jnr, who remain at large.

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