Latest news with #Kinahan-Hutch
Irish Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Key challenges for incoming Garda commissioner Justin Kelly
Fifty-three-year-old Dubliner Justin Kelly is set to assume the mantle of leadership when Garda Commissioner Drew Harris retires in a month. Here are the key challenges he faces in the role. Garda numbers Garda numbers are at just over 14,300 despite targets of 15,000 in the short term and 18,000 in the years to come. The process of applying for the Garda, securing a place and getting a start date for training can be protracted. Consequently, some of those accepted into the force have secured other jobs or moved abroad by the time they receive a firm start date for training. As such, some of the classes passing out from the Garda College in Templemore , Co Tipperary, have been as low as 140 this year. That is far short of the 200 personnel the college can handle in each of its four intakes per year. As well as streamlining recruitment, the number of recruits in training also needs to be increased by using satellite Garda training centres, home study and other measures. READ MORE Domestic and gender-based violence Last month, Women's Aid published research that found 44 per cent of women who contacted the force for assistance over domestic violence or abuse found gardaí unhelpful. Though the Garda has established a National Protective Services Bureau for dealing with vulnerable victims targeted by sexual and gender-based violence, there is more work to do. It appears more training is required across the force, not just for a dedicated bureau or local units, to ensure an improved and more consistent response to victims of gender-based violence. Garda morale Relations between the commissioner and Garda Representative Association (GRA) have been extremely poor, so much so that it has been corrosive for morale in the force. The GRA, which represents more than 11,000 rank-and-file gardaí, has refused to invite the commissioner to its annual conference and also held a vote of no confidence in him. The commissioner was hired from the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2018. The fact that a so-called 'outsider' was appointed has been the source of considerable resentment for many in the Garda, especially the GRA. Though the incoming commissioner is not an outsider, that is no guarantee that relations between him and the representative group will be better. The GRA vs Harris dynamic has been such a problem for so long that it has become toxic. A reset may prove more challenging than even senior GRA personnel anticipate. The new commissioner must manage the situation carefully. Drug trade Violent gangland feuding – with up to 20 gun murders per year – was witnessed during the Celtic Tiger period and also a decade ago as the Kinahan-Hutch feud began. However, more recently, the Garda has gained the upper hand on some of the most dangerous crime groups, and gangland killings have been limited to one or two per year. Despite this, recent seizures of drugs and cash have been unprecedented in value. The most organised drug gangs are enjoying a boom, selling into a prosperous economy where the demand, particularly for cocaine, is insatiable. The experience of the Kinahan cartel demonstrates that ambitious, well-drilled gangs, given the space to grow their operations quickly, become so wealthy and powerful that their leaders become impossible to catch. The Garda must continue to strike against the domestic gangs. And there is also the matter of the Kinahans – Christy snr and his sons, Daniel and Christopher jnr – remaining at large in Dubai.
Irish Examiner
28-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Leading Kinahan gang figure Sean McGovern being extradited from UAE to Ireland
Sean McGovern, previously named in the Special Criminal Court as being one of the most senior figures in the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, is being extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The 39-year-old, believed to be cartel leader Daniel Kinahan's right-hand man, is understood to be aboard a Defence Forces military aircraft currently making its way back to Ireland. The flight is expected to land in Dublin on Thursday. McGovern had been in custody in Dubai since last October after being arrested there on foot of an Interpol red notice - a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. The Dubliner is wanted to face charges in Ireland relating to the Kinahan-Hutch feud, including murder and involvement in a criminal gang. He is wanted in the State to face charges over the murder of Noel Kirwan, an innocent man killed as part of the Hutch-Kinahan feud in December 2016. He is expected to be formally arrested by An Garda Síochána once the plane lands here. Thereafter, he is expected to appear before the Special Criminal Court on Thursday. More to follow . . .
Sunday World
05-05-2025
- Sunday World
Exclusive pictures show gangster Glen Ward and Gucci Gang pals on nights out before prison
'Mr Flashy' photo album features underworld thugs who were murdered in turf feuds or now languish behind bars Ward and Hyland take selfie with gang of friends This is gangster Glen Ward partying with a host of gangland figures, most of whom are now dead or behind bars, as he rose to prominence in Ireland's underworld. Ward, who was jailed for five-and-a-half years for firearms offences, became a gang boss better known as 'Mr Flashy' after numerous Kinahan-aligned criminals based in north-west Dublin left the country in the aftermath of the Regency Hotel attack. He was given the nickname because of his love for designer gear, including high-end runners and as our photos show, Ward often showed off his passion for fashion as he sported luxury watches, Gucci caps and expensive man bags. Karl Hyland and Glen Ward The photos show Ward partying with pals as he enjoyed a glamorous lifestyle and splashed the cash on upmarket clothing brands and lavish holidays. Ward was still in his early 20s when he started making a name for himself in the criminal underworld, but had close links to older Cartel criminals, including Cabra man Karl Hyland and Finglas gunman Trevor Byrne. Hyland was a nephew of slain gang boss Martin 'Marlo' Hyland who was killed on the orders of one-time associate Eamon 'the Don' Dunne in Dublin in 2006. Dunne became the main player in north-west Dublin after Marlo's murder and ordered numerous gang hits in a reign of terror that ended when he was shot dead in 2010, in a hit believed to have been carried out by Kinahan-linked criminals. Ward and Hyland were also snapped together with Lee Boylan, who was seriously injured in a gun attack in Mulhuddart in March 2019 as part of a west Dublin feud with associates of Eric Fowler, who was shot dead three months earlier. Ian O'Heaire Boylan's father Noel Boylan survived a gun attack on the Blakestown Road in Dublin in June 2019 just three months after his son was almost killed. Like Ward, Karl Hyland was jailed after he was caught test-firing guns in a back garden. He was sentenced to was jailed for five years in December 2011 after he pleaded guilty to possession of the weapons, including two handguns, a silencer and dozens of rounds of ammunition. After his release from prison, Ward was regularly spotted with Karl Hyland on numerous nights out and trips abroad. He was also snapped with Hyland's close associate Eric Keogh, a criminal from Cabra who had amassed almost 200 convictions by his mid-20s. The group were close associates of Trevor Byrne, who was suspected of numerous gun attacks – including some linked to the Kinahan-Hutch feud – and took Ward under his wing. Ward and Hyland take selfie with gang of friends Hyland, Keogh and Byrne all left Ireland as the Kinahan- Hutch feud escalated and, despite his youth, Ward then rose to prominence as the leader of what became known as the 'Gucci Gang' due to their penchant for wearing designer watches, designer clothes and manbags. He aligned himself with numerous other criminals in a network that extended beyond his Finglas base. Our pictures show Ward partying with well-known criminal Ian O'Heaire, who was previously jailed for smuggling drugs from Dubai to Australia. O'Heaire is an associate and cousin of senior Kinahan Cartel figure Ross Browning. An investigation by the Criminal Assets Bureau into Browning revealed how O'Heaire acted as a go-between with Ward's gang. GlenThompson parties with a Gucci gang pal The gang were involved in serious feuding in Finglas and surrounding areas as they rose in prominence in Ireland's underworld, falling out with one-time associates along the way. Among those to eventually fall foul of Ward was north Dublin drug dealer James Whelan, who was shot dead as part of a feud with the Gucci Gang in 2022. Our pictures show the numerous gangland figures who Ward previously partied with who are now either dead or behind bars. They include feared criminal Glen Thompson, who along with is brother Gary is serving a lengthy sentence after being caught with firearms in Dublin as part of 2018 plot to murder Patsy Hutch, a brother of Gerry 'the Monk' Hutch. He was also pictured partying with a close associate of Jason Hennessy Snr, who died following a Christmas Eve dinner at Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown in 2022. The associate cannot be named as he is currently before the courts on serious charges. Several other associates pictured with Ward suffered worse fates than jail. Ward with Hyland and Jamie Tighe out clubbing They include Darndale criminal Jamie Tighe-Ennis who was shot dead in a gun attack on Moatview Avenue, Priorswood, Dublin 17, in October 2017. Another associate, Zach Parker, a drug dealer from Swords, was shot dead in the north Dublin suburb in January 2019. The day after Parker's murder, gardaí watched as Ward met up with another Gucci Gang associate, Sean Little, a drug dealer from Kilmore in north Dublin. Ward was pictured attending Parker's funeral with other Gucci Gang associates. DAPPER: Glen Ward (in Gucci cap) with Karl Hyland (left) and Lee Boylan Today's News in 90 Seconds - May 5th Another man who joined them at the funeral was Caolan Smyth, who is serving 20 years in prison for shooting Hutch associate James 'Mago' Gately in a murder attempt in Dublin in May 2017. Smyth, who was a suspect in up to 10 gun attacks, was blamed for the murder of Little (22), who was shot dead in May 2019 just months after Parker's killing. A day after Little was murdered another associate of Ward, Jordan Davis (23) was shot dead in Coolock on orders of Robert 'Roo' Redmond over a drug debt. Another man with links to Ward, Iranian criminal Hamid Sanambar (41), was shot dead a week later after being blamed for involvement in Little's murder. In the weeks after those killings, Ward tried to silence the Sunday World after we named him and exposed his links to organised crime when he was arrested following a drug seizure in Finglas in July 2019 Ward at house party with pals We highlighted his links to the Kinahan Cartel and the Coolock feud victims and revealed he had been arrested after gardaí raided a house on Ratoath Road. They seized an estimated €5,000 of cocaine and cannabis along with cash, weighing scales, packaging material, a number of mobile phones, electronic devices and weapons. Gardaí used flash grenades as they raided the house which has previously been targeted in attacks by criminal gangs. Ward was arrested in connection with the operation but later released without charge. In a legal letter, Ward's solicitor said his client denied being pals with Glen Thompson. He added that while he may have known Tighe-Ennis, Parker, Little, Davis and Sanambar it was 'reckless' to name him as a 'pal' of them. He went on to say Ward 'is not associated with any cartel' and said he would issue immediate legal proceedings against the Sunday World unless there was an admission of liability coupled with an offer of compensation. The Sunday World robustly defended the article and no legal proceedings were ever issued. Within a couple of years Ward's gang was back involved in serious feuding, this time based around Finglas which led to numerous gun attacks, petrol bombings and assaults. The feud claimed the life of Ward's former associate James Whelan who was shot dead in 2022. The feud also led to attempts on the lives of Ward and his brother Glen O'Driscoll. After one of those hit attempts, gardaí responded to reports that shots had been fired at a taxi on the Tolka Valley Road in June 2022. When they searched the taxi, they found a phone that they were later able to connect to O'Driscoll. Video footage on the phone showed Ward and O'Driscoll firing from a semi-automatic rifle from the back door of a Finglas home during a house party. Ward (32), pleaded guilty to a charge that on January 1, 2022 at an address in Finglas he possessed or had control of a .223 calibre Remington AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in circumstances giving rise to a reasonable inference that he did not have it for a lawful purpose. O'Driscoll (23) pleaded guilty to possession of the same gun and was recently jailed for five years. Gardaí discovered the rifle alongside a military sub-machine gun during a search of a house in Finglas in February 2022.
