Spanish cops have arrested Kinahan "priority fugitive" Liam Byrne on the holiday island of Mallorca.
The "dangerous" Irishman is said to have led a wing of the cartel which trafficked pistols and submachine guns into Britain to be supplied to other criminal gangs. Many of these were described as "purchased specifically with systems which did not leave fingerprints so that crimes could be committed designed to evade police detection".
The weapons supply group had grown so important, that in just one order it received from a criminal customer, it was asked for 14 guns. Britain's top level anti-mafia force, the National Crime Agency (NCA), launched a probe into the cartel outfit after becoming aware of its activities.
Read more: Kinahan rivals 'The Family' targeted in series of raids by gardai
Surveillance was placed on several of the Irishman's underlings, and they were arrested for weapons and drugs trafficking. A large cache of pistols, submachine guns and a "large amount" of ammunition was seized following a raid.
However, the suspect evaded capture and fled to Dubai to join the rest of the gang leadership. There, Spanish police said he continued to maintain a "high standard of living" and operated the gun-trafficking network remotely.
However, the NCA continued to track his movements and discovered that he had made a secret trip to Mallorca to meet with his family. They requested help from Spain's Policia Nacional, who put its Fugitive Location Section on the case.
The unit, similar to one which found and arrested Gerry "The Monk" Hutch on the Costa del Sol, discovered that the Irishman had access to a particular vehicle. Spanish police said no chances were taken in the operation due to the fugitive's "dangerous nature" and the fact that he might have been armed.
They zoned in on an undisclosed particular area of Mallorca where they believed he was staying before swooping in to make the arrest. The Irishman is currently in police custody on the island and is expected to be flown to Madrid in due course to face extradition proceedings to the UK.
Read next:
Families to get extra cash boost in bonus social welfare payment
Drivers fined as gardai warn unsafe parking could be putting lives at risk
Una Healy opens up on 'worst six months' of her life after 'throuple' rumours
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
