Shock details emerge as top tier Kinahan cartel thug Liam Byrne arrested with nephew over huge gun haul uncovered here

THESE are the weapons Kinahan cartel godfather Liam Byrne is accused of supplying to other crime gangs, which led to his arrest while on a family holiday in Spain on Sunday.

The haul — which includes three handguns, four machine-guns, a rifle and three machine pistols — was uncovered in the Jerrettspass area of Newry, Co Down, in the north, in May 2021.

Investigators believed the "ready for use" weapons were to be sold to mobs in Ireland and the UK.

Following the discovery by the UK's National Crime Agency, investigators obtained secret encrypted ‘EncroChat’ messages they claim link Byrne, 42, whose brother David was shot dead at the Regency Hotel in 2016, to the firearms seizure.

Also accused of involvement in the weapons importation conspiracy is Byrne's nephew, Jack Kavanagh, 22, who's the son of caged kingpin Thomas "Bomber" Kavanagh.

Both Liam and Jack are now in custody in Spain after a three-pronged operation, which involved the Policia Nacional and NCA, working closely with the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

If the pair are convicted of possessing firearms for sale they could face a maximum life sentence in prison.

One investigator said: "Liam Byrne was running the cartel's operation in Ireland and the UK and is a major player in the organisation.

"The arrest shows how international cooperation is key to the overall objective of dismantling the Kinahan organisation.

"(It) looks like Byrne and Kavanagh will regret their decision to join their families in Spain."

Byrne — described in the High Court as being at the "top tier" of organised crime in Ireland — was arrested on Sunday evening as he enjoyed a meal with family members, including parents James and Sadie.

We can reveal the gangster — who had been holed up in Dubai — had made a last-minute decision to join his family in Spain and only flew to Palma in Mallorca on May 26.

Before Byrne's arrest, his nephew Kavanagh, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, was arrested at Malaga Airport by Spanish National Police on May 30. He was travelling from Dubai to Turkey on a transit flight.

Following the arrests, the NCA described Byrne as "one of the most trusted members" of the Kinahan gang. Kavanagh was described as a "suspected member of the crime group".

Kay Mellor, NCA Regional Head of Investigations, welcomed the arrests.

The senior investigator said: "This investigation is part of the NCA's ongoing work targeting the Kinahan crime group.

"Liam Byrne and Jack Kavanagh have been evading justice for a number of years, but have now been arrested in relation to serious firearms offences.

"We have an excellent relationship with the Spanish National Police and will continue to work closely with our international partners to ensure those who think they can stay under the radar have no place to hide."

The NCA confirmed the probe was an intelligence-led investigation involving the Spanish National Police and the GNDOCB.

They obtained Trade and Co-Operation Agreement warrants, which were established following Brexit, after analysing the secret EncroChat messages and believed the pair were involved in the "supply and acquisition of firearms".

The initial EncroChat messages were discovered when the French authorities gained access to the communication platform. They then passed intelligence to the NCA.

The platform is operated by users given a username and a handset so they can communicate with others on the platform.

Byrne and his young nephew are now in custody and the legal process begins to extradite them to the UK.

Once returned to the UK, they are expected to appear in court charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to smuggle firearms.

Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, from the Gardai Serious and Organised Crime section, vowed to continue the Gardai's work with their international partners.

The senior officer added: "This is a particularly significant development in the efforts of international law enforcement to dismantle the operations of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group.

"These arrests are a demonstration of An Garda Siochana's continued cooperation with our colleagues in the National Crime Agency."

A spokesman for Spain's National Police in Majorca also said: "National Police officers have arrested in Majorca a dangerous Irish fugitive who is a member of the Kinahan clan and was a priority of the UK's National Crime Agency, for leading a criminal organisation involved in weapons trafficking in the UK.

"The fugitive led the weapons-trafficking organisation, which bought pistols and submachine guns to then sell to other organisations.

"Many of the weapons were bought with systems that didn't leave fingerprints to be able to commit crimes and complicate police work.

"Such was the size of the organisation that it received an order from another organisation for 14 firearms in one go.

"During the NCA's investigation in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, several members of the organisation this man belongs to were arrested for these crimes and for drugs trafficking and a hideout with several handguns, submachine guns and a large amount of ammunition was discovered."

They also said: "The fugitive fled to Dubai after the NCA investigation finished and enough evidence was accumulated against him and there he continued enjoying a luxury lifestyle and leading the organisation from a distance.

"After a lengthy investigation, the NCA discovered the fugitive had recently travelled to Majorca to meet up secretly with his family and British police contacted the Spanish National Police's specialist fugitive unit to make inquiries on his whereabouts.

"Officers were able through inquiries to locate a vehicle he could be using. After focusing the search on that area, the fugitive was located and arrested."

When the firearms were seized in 2021, NCA branch commander David Cunningham said the operation was a "major success" against those involved in serious and organised crime.

The senior officer added: "We believe this is the most significant find of serviceable firearms and ammunition in the area in ten years.

"These types of automatic weapons are used by serious organised criminals to kill and cause serious harm and we are convinced that this seizure will prevent future loss of life.

"Working with PSNI and other partners during this operation has been key to this success and we will continue to bring all of our shared expertise to bear in bringing those involved to justice."

BIG-TIME gangster Liam Byrne was once described as a "trusted associate" of Daniel Kinahan.

When the UK's Criminal Assets Bureau targeted Byrne's €2.7m property and business empire in 2016, he was also named in the High Court as a "lieutenant" of the exiled mob boss.

At the time of the investigation, CAB had established the extent of the suspected weapons smuggler's lavish lifestyle, which included him having his own PA, making frequent flights to Dubai and running the ‘Liam Byrne Organised Crime Group’.

In their submissions to the High Court, CAB said: "The target of this investigation is the Liam Byrne Organised Crime Group — this group is aligned to the Kinahan Organised Crime Group.

"The investigation has uncovered a system of money laundering that's used by this group to hide the beneficial ownership of the various assets in their ­possession.

"The main target of this investigation, Liam Byrne, is a close and trusted associate and lieutenant of Daniel Kinahan who has been observed at the christening of Liam Byrne's child in 2015."