The Minister for Justice has said the State wants Daniel Kinahan to face serious organised crime charges in Ireland.
Jim O'Callaghan said that while Mr Kinahan has not been convicted of any offence it is very important he is brought back to Ireland.
The minister said at the Prison Officers Association Conference tonight he did not know how long the extradition would take, but he was not concerned about security, insisting that very high security prisoners need to be accommodated.
He described the case as "significant".
Mr Kinahan has been named in the High Court and sanction by the US authorities as the leader of the transnational Kinahan Organised Crime Group which is involved in drugs, firearms and people smuggling.
The minister also warned people, specifically men, to stay away from drugs gangs because no matter how successful they think they are, they always end up in prison.
He said he was aware there were now many factions from organised crime groups in Irish prisons, but he said this was a sign that while feuding gangs are prominent in society prison officers were managing them effectively and not allowing "engagement" between the gangs.
It comes after Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said that investigations are continuing into the Kinahan organised crime group.
"What we've always said is we'll continue going with this , it will be relentless.’’ Commissioner Kelly said.
Regarding the recent arrest of Mr Kinahan in the United Arab Emirates, the commissioner said: "That's within a process now for the authorities in that country, and we'll obviously watch that keenly and await the outcome of that.’’
Commissioner Kelly said gardaí are also pursuing other criminal gangs.
'’There are other groups who are working outside this jurisdiction and have had absolutely devastating effects on our communities here and again, with some of them, we’ve had some really, really important successes in the last number of months.
"And key to those successes are international partnerships with police and law enforcement abroad.’’
