Caged Kinahan cartel boss Thomas “Bomber” Kavanagh is appealing his 21-year sentence amid rumours he is “desperate” to be moved to an Irish prison.
The crime gang’s second in command was jailed in England for conspiring to import €36million worth of drugs and is behind bars in Belmarsh – Britain’s toughest prison.
The 54-year-old, who enforced the Kinahans’ operations in the UK, had his legal team lodge an appeal against the jail term handed down to him to Ipswich Crown Court.
Earlier this week, Kavanagh was moved to maximum security facility Belmarsh Prison for “security reasons” and is now housed on the 48 single cell High Security Unit.
He is banged up alongside killer Michael Adebolajo, Islamic State sympathiser Ali Harbi Ali and Julian Assange who has been languishing at the jail for three years for breaching bail.
An administration officer at Ipswich Crown Court confirmed Kavanagh was appealing his prison term.
She told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “We can confirm that Mr Kavanagh is appealing his sentence.”
It is believed Kavanagh is desperate to be repatriated back to Ireland to serve out the rest of his lengthy sentence so he can be close to family who live in Dublin.
A source said: “He will have to exhaust all his appeals before he can look for repatriation.
“It can take some time for the process to be completed and that’s depending on an agreement between both the Irish and British authorities.
“But word is that he wants to return to his native Ireland to serve out his sentence.
“He is currently locked up with some of the world’s most dangerous criminals so doing his time in Ireland would be more tolerable no doubt.
“The whole process, though, if he does succeed, could take in the region of two years.Lodging an appeal is the first step and it would require both governments to strike a deal.”
Earlier this week, a court heard how the Kinahans’ most trusted lieutenant barked at a Criminal Assets Bureau officer to “go away” when he was approached
Details of the fallen mob boss’s detention emerged during a hearing of an ongoing CAB case against him and mob boss Daniel Kinahan – stemming from a case against businessman Jim Mansfield Jnr over the seizure of a mansion in Saggart, South Co Dublin.
The CAB previously outlined how the property was given to the Kinahan cartel by Mansfield after a €4.5million investment deal went sour in 2014. A CAB officer spoke to Kavanagh through a cell door at Belmarsh Prison, the court heard.
CAB barrister Shelly Horan said the officer informed Kavanagh of the freezing order granted over the Saggart address and the €5,000 found in an envelope with “Kav” on it.
Asked if he had a legal representative he replied: “I don’t want to talk to you. Go away.”
The officer put the relevant court papers under the cell door.
CAB has previously indicated that Kavanagh could face more jail time if he doesn’t settle his bill with the bureau.
In March, Ipswich Crown Court heard how Kavanagh, called “the Gaffer” in encrypted messages from associates, had a role sitting at “the head of the organisation” as his position in the crime mob.
The gang’s “highly sophisticated” operation saw them importing vast amounts of cocaine and cannabis in machinery, unloading it and then reloading cash for it to be sent back as payment.
The court heard evidence of how cannabis, wrapped in plastic, was labelled with “Manchester United” and “Rolex” branding, while cocaine was branded “54”. Kavanagh along with Gary Vickery, 39, and 43-year-old Daniel Canning, who are brothers-in-law and both of Solihull, West Midlands, were also before the courts for their involvement.
All three admitted in July 2020 to conspiring to import class A and B drugs, worth around €36million, and money laundering.
Canning also admitted possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Riel Karmy-Jones QC prosecuting, explaining their roles, said: “Thomas Kavanagh sits at the head of the organisation, with Gary Vickery immediately beneath him and Daniel Canning is subordinate to Vickery.”
The court also heard the investigation by the National Crime Agency was sparked by a major seizure by gardai in Dublin in January 2017.
Irish investigators seized a “significant” amount of firearms and class A drugs on that occasion as they targeted Declan “Mr Nobody” Brady.
However, documents seized identifying a UK-based freight transport company and passed to the NCA led to the operations of an organised crime gang in the West Midlands of the UK.
On October 2, 2017, Dover customs officials seized a consignment of 15kg of cocaine and 200kg of cannabis hidden inside two large removal machines.
The court heard the estimated street value of the cocaine, which had 75% purity, was £1.2million and £2million for the cannabis.
They also found a GPS tracking device inside one of the machines.
Karmy-Jones QC added: “The investigation by the NCA uncovered that drugs were being imported into the UK from mainland Europe concealed within items of machinery and delivered by legitimate transportation and logistics companies. Once at their destination in the UK, the drugs would be removed and the machinery reloaded with cash, which in turn was carried back to mainland Europe in payment for the drugs.”
The next day, an industrial unit in the West Midlands was searched.
A transformer device had been adapted and inside was a black holdall which contained a Smith and Wesson 357 revolver gun and 85 rounds of live ammunition. Canning’s DNA was found on the firearm.
Also, another Irishman who was allegedly part of the operation was Martin Byrne, whose DNA was found on the firearm along with five others who are not identified.
Byrne’s address was raided as part of the probe, however he died of lung cancer during the investigation.
Meanwhile, the gang’s head honcho at Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison has reportedly been threatening associates of the crumbling criminal organisation considering jumping ship.
A source said: “There are a number of cartel members who are now saying they are no longer affiliated with the gang, they want nothing to do with them.”
Read more: EU vow to seize Daniel Kinahan's assets in Europe under new proposed law
Read more: Luxury home seized from crime boss Liam Byrne fails to sell after a year on the market
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