The international police agency, Interpol, has described Dubliner Sean McGovern as “one of Ireland’s most wanted fugitives” and welcomed his arrest in Dubai. Interpol is the first agency, in Ireland or internationally, to name McGovern as the man arrested and state that extradition proceedings against the 38-year-old would begin immediately.
McGovern was one of seven men at the apex of the Kinahan cartel who had financial and travel sanctions imposed on them by US law enforcement just over two years ago. He is regarded as a key figure in the cartel’s inner circle and is especially close to Daniel Kinahan.
Interpol secretary general, Jürgen Stock, said McGovern was “one of Ireland’s most wanted individuals” who had been arrested “thanks to the combined efforts” of the Irish authorities and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“Cases like this underline the value of international police co-operation via Interpol’s global network, and again highlights that no fugitive can consider themselves safe from justice,” he said.
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Interpol – the International Criminal Police Organisation – is an international agency, compromised of 96 member countries, aimed at increasing police co-operation. It facilitates the sharing and accessing of data on crimes and criminals, and offers technical and operational support.
It issued a ‘Red Notice’ for McGovern, which is a request to countries around the world to locate and arrest a suspect. That Red Notice came about because the DPP in Ireland directed McGovern should face charges relating to the murder of Noel Kirwan (62) in Dublin in 2016 as part of the Kinahan Hutch feud. He is also charged with directing organised crime.
[ Who is Kinahan ally Sean McGovern and why is his arrest in Dubai so important?Opens in new window ]
McGovern became Daniel Kinahan’s closest and most trusted lieutenant in recent years and had moved to Dubai at his request to effectively become a member of the inner circle at the top of the Kinahan cartel. However, he has been wanted in the Republic for several years to face charges.
On Thursday morning he was finally arrested at his home in Dubai, where he had been living openly for years. His detention was the first time a senior Kinahan cartel figure was arrested in Dubai as the authorities there are notoriously reluctant to co-operate with extradition requests from western law enforcement agencies.
However, the Irish Government and senior Garda officers have engaged in years of diplomatic lobbying of the authorities in UAE in a bid to secure their co-operation in the fight against the cartel, whose leadership has been based in Dubai for about a decade.
The fact the US authorities in 2022 so publicly joined the Garda’s efforts, aided by the National Crime Agency in Britain, to bring to justice the leading Dubai-based cartel figures is seen as having put significant pressure on UAE to be more co-operative.
Former Garda assistant commissioner John O’Driscoll, who retired in mid 2022 and died suddenly two weeks ago, was instrumental in convincing the Americans to become so heavily involved. That included the US authorities offering $5 million rewards for information that would result in any of the Kinahans being jailed.
McGovern’s arrest is regarded as significant because he is such a high value target in the upper echelons of the cartel and because of the seriousness of the charges he is facing.
However, McGovern is also the first Kinahan cartel figure the UAE authorities have agreed to arrest. The fact he is in custody, and the UAE is now willing to facilitate Ireland’s extradition efforts is seen as very significant. It raises the prospects of other cartel leaders also being arrested, if Garda investigations in Ireland result in the DPP directing they should face serious charges.
The main targets of the Garda are cartel founder Christy Kinahan Snr and his sons Daniel and Christopher Jnr. There is perhaps most optimism in the Garda Daniel Kinahan could be charged with directing organised crime in Ireland. However, charges must be in place against the Kinahans before they could be extradited and, at present, there are no such charges awaiting them in the Republic.
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