Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee speaks to the media on the government’s approval to sign Bilateral Treaties with the United Arab Emirates at the Government Buildings in Dublin. Picture date: Friday October 18, 2024.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee is in Abu Dhabi today to sign bilateral treaties with the United Arab Emirates on extradition and mutual legal assistance, following Government approval last Friday.
These two agreements will further improve the effectiveness of co-operation between Ireland and the UAE in fighting crime and facilitating extradition.
They will also pave the way for the return to Ireland of senior members of the Kinahan crime gang to face trial for crimes here.
A previous lack of an extradition treaty with UAE has made it an attractive location for criminal gangs trying to stay a step of ahead of Irish law enforcement.
The leaders of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, Christy Kinahan Sr and his sons Daniel and Christopher Jr, fled there from Spain in 2016 to avoid possible extradition to Ireland when Spanish authorities began to collaborate with gardaí investigating the Hutch-Kinahan feud killings.
This follows Minister McEntee opening negotiations with the UAE last year, and intensive engagements with her counterpart the Emirati Minister of Justice, His Excellency Abdullah Bin Sultan Bin Awad Al Nuaimi.
The Government is taking all necessary steps to dismantle organised crime, and the agreement of these bilateral treaties will be of significant support in tackling organised crime and transnational drug trafficking gangs.
