Senior Kinahan cartel member Liam Byrne arrested in Mallorca
| Published date | 05 June 2023 |
| Author | Conor Lally |
| Publication title | Irish Times: Web Edition Articles (Dublin, Ireland) |
Byrne fled the Republic as his home in Crumlin, Dublin, was being seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) in a major assets confiscation case that also targeted some of his associates and concluded in 2019. He was arrested while in Mallorca on Sunday evening after being placed under surveillance there.
Police moved in and detained him while he was having a meal in a restaurant in the Alcudia area with members of his family. It appears he believed he had arrived in Mallorca undetected, but that was not the case as he was being tracked in an operation between Spanish, British and Irish law enforcement.
A vehicle he was using was located, enabling Spanish police to locate and arrest Byrne. Spain's Policía Nacional said the danger posed by Byrne "and the possibility that he could be (arrested) with firearms" necessitated a special policing operation being put in place to carry out the arrest.
While initially based in the UK after leaving the Republic, it appears he had been residing in Dubai of late having fled from Britain as a major inquiry into him there was nearing completion. He flew into Mallorca, via Palma airport, from Dubai on May 26th for a family reunion on the island.
Liam Byrne profile: Daniel Kinahan's lieutenant in Dublin
The NCA's regional head of investigations, Kay Mellor, said the investigation resulting in the arrest of Byrne - and a second Irishman in Spain, Jack Kavanagh (22) - was "part of the NCA's ongoing work targeting the Kinahan crime group".
Kavanagh, who is based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, was arrested in Malaga Airport while transiting from Dubai to Turkey last Tuesday.
"Liam Byrne and Jack Kavanagh have been evading justice for a number of years, but have now been arrested in relation to serious firearms offences," Ms Mellor said. "We have an excellent relationship with the Spanish National Police and will continue to work closely with our international partners to ensure those who think they can stay under the radar have no place to hide."
The NCA added it had obtained trade and co-operation agreement (TACA) warrants "after EncroChat messages showed they (Byrne and Kavanagh) were believed to be involved in the supply and acquisition of firearms". Both Irish suspects were now in custody in Spain awaiting extradition to the UK. Of...
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