Alex Trelinski
A KEY member of the Kinahan Organised Crime Gang wanted by UK police on gun-running charges has been arrested by the Policia Nacional in Mallorca.
Liam Byrne, 42, was detained at a restaurant in the Alcudia area while having a meal with family members.
Byrne fled arrest in Britain in early 2022 when several of his colleagues were rounded up by police.
The UK National Crime Agency(NCA) said Byrne led an arms-trafficking organisation as part of the Kinahan Clan that bought pistols and sub-machine guns that were then sold to other groups.
Many of the firearms were purchased with systems that left no fingerprint markings which meant weapons used in crimes was much harder for the UK police.
Byrne set up home in Dubai where the Policia Nacional said he was able to maintain his ‘high standard of living’ while continuing to contribute to the activities of the criminal organisation.
The NCA discovered that Byrne had recently travelled to Mallorca to secretly reunite with relatives who were on the island.
They contacted their Spanish counterparts who managed to locate a car that he used, and from that they traced his whereabouts and arrested him at the restaurant.
Byrne has had previous convictions for armed robbery and assault- both when he was a teenager.
A Policia Nacional spokesperson said: “Capturing this fugitive was a top priority for the United Kingdom as he belonged to the Kinahan gang.”
The normal procedure for a fugitive wanted by another country on an arrest warrant is to be transferred to the custody of the National Court in Madrid that will then preside over an extradition hearing.
READ MORE:
- Kinahan gang member wishes to return to Spain when released from Dublin prison
- NERO TO ZERO: Kinahan ‘financier’ and ‘enforcer’ arrested after seizure of 200 kilograms of cocaine and €500,000 cash last…
- Jail for Irish crime boss linked to notorious Kinahan clan who ran drug trafficking ring on Spain’s Costa del…
