Two high-ranking members of the Kinahan organized crime syndicate have been sentenced in the UK for their involvement in a scheme to amass firearms and ammunition, aimed at securing a lighter sentence for one of them, Thomas Kavanagh, who was convicted of drug smuggling.
Kavanagh, 57, residing in Tamworth, England, along with his brother-in-law Liam Byrne, 43, from Crumlin—who leads the Kinahan gang in Dublin—and 38-year-old Shaun Kent from Liverpool, all entered guilty pleas.
Kavanagh received a six-year prison sentence to be served consecutively with his current 21-year term. Byrne was sentenced to five years, while Kent was given a six-year sentence.
Judge Philip Katz remarked that the singular criminal enterprise was orchestrated to assist Kavanagh with his sentencing. The chosen method was to create a stockpile of firearms intended to mislead the National Crime Agency and subsequently deceive the judge presiding over Kavanagh’s drug trafficking sentencing.
A submachine gun and magazines with ammunition recovered by NCA officers
The judge emphasized that the trio was engaged in amassing as many highly dangerous weapons as possible, financed through networks comprised of serious criminals.
Kavanagh was central to the conspiracy and was described as “able to pull the strings” even while incarcerated.
Shaun Kent was jailed for six years
The judge also mentioned that the three men could serve half of their sentences in custody, indicating that Byrne would be eligible for release on license after two-and-a-half years.
Kent has already completed over three years in custody.
Detective Chief Superintendent Séamus Boland, head of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, expressed satisfaction with the sentences.
He stated: “The sentences imposed on Thomas Kavanagh and Liam Byrne, in particular, are encouraging, and I commend our colleagues at the National Crime Agency for their commitment to achieving justice in this case.”
“This investigation underscores how organized crime groups leverage their substantial illicit resources to subvert the legal process. Convictions like these, despite occurring in the United Kingdom, have a notable effect on the organized crime landscape in Ireland.”
“We continue to collaborate closely with our international partners in addressing the primary organized crime networks that adversely affect our communities.”
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