Two senior figures in the Kinahan Organised Crime Group have pleaded not guilty in a UK court to firearms and related offences.
Liam Byrne, 43, and his 56-year-old brother-in-law Thomas Kavanagh were arraigned at the Old Bailey in London.
Both men watched the proceedings by video link from HMP Belmarsh Prison and replied not guilty as the charges were read out to them.
A third accused, 37-year-old Shaun Kent from Liverpool, appeared by video link from Forest Bank prison in Manchester.
Mr Byrne faces four charges of conspiracy to possess firearms and ammunition between 29 April and 28 May 2020.
He is also accused along with Mr Kavanagh and Mr Kent of conspiring with Mr Kavanagh's son Jack, Peter Keating and others to possess firearms and ammunition between the 9 January 2020 and 3 June 2021.
Mr Kavanagh and Mr Kent are also accused of perverting the course of justice by conspiring with Mr Byrne, Jack Kavanagh and Peter Keating to possess and hide firearms and then reveal their whereabouts to the National Crime Agency to get a reduced sentence for Thomas Kavanagh.
His son Jack Kavanagh, 24, remains in custody in Spain and is currently fighting extradition to the UK.
Mr Kent also faces four additional charges of conspiracy to sell or transfer handguns and ammunition to others in May 2020 and possession of an offensive weapon, a knife on 24 March 2021.
In all 17 charges were read out in court and all three men pleaded not guilty
They are due back in court again in June. The trial is due to begin on 2 September.
In a previous court hearing in January, prosecuting barrister Max Baines told the court that Liam Byrne is the connection between two alleged firearms conspiracies.
The High Court in Dublin found Liam Byrne to be the leader of the Byrne Organised Crime Group, the Irish branch of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group.
He had been living in Dubai but was arrested on foot of a UK extradition warrant when he flew into Spain last May for a family gathering and extradited to the UK last December.
His younger brother David was shot dead at the Regency Hotel in 2016 as part of the Hutch-Kinahan feud which has claimed 18 lives.
