Kinahan cartel bosses Liam Byrne and ‘Bomber’ Kavanagh face decades behind bars over firearms plot, Bulldog Kavanagh once Feared in Gangland, now Called a Rat by Peadar Keating, and others, Ganglands Cartel on the Run? Bomber Kavanagh is a rat’ – Former pal Peadar Keating blows lid on jailed cartel boss. Who gave the Guns up?

The infamous cartel figure, who is currently locked up in London’s Belmarsh prison, may now face up to a life sentence

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Kinahan cartel bosses Liam Byrne and Thomas ‘Bomber’ Kavanagh are facing decades behind bars after pleading guilty to firearms conspiracy charges in the UK.

In a major U-turn at the 11th hour, infamous mobsters Byrne and Kavanagh, who were set to go on trial before a jury at London’s Old Bailey tomorrow, pleaded guilty to their roles in a bizarre plot to deliberately lead the National Crime Agency (NCA) to a seizure of firearms in 2021.

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‘Bomber,’ who was once named in Ireland’s High Court by gardai as being “at the top of the tree” of the Kinahan cartel, now admits that he put together an insane plan to have his associates hide a stache of firearms – so that he could pretend to cooperate, help officers find the guns – and then secure himself a lesser prison sentence.

Irish native Kavanagh, once a central figure in the Kinahan gang who lived in a mansion in Tamworth, was at the time of the plot facing trial for conspiring to import €36 million worth of drugs into the UK – a charge he ultimately was convicted of and sentenced to 21 years in prison for.

The infamous cartel figure, who is currently locked up in London’s Belmarsh prison, may now face up to a life sentence – after pleading guilty to perverting the course of justice in this case. Meanwhile his brother-in-law Liam Byrne – considered to be the leader of the Kinahan cartel’s operations in Ireland and the UK, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess the prohibited weapons and ammunition which were ultimately found in a farmer’s field in Newry, Co Down.

Byrne, who it can now be revealed was a central driver of the bloody Kinahan Hutch feud that claimed 18 lives – faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years for each conspiracy charge. The shocking details of Bomber’s incredible attempt to ruse the NCA can also now be revealed – after a court heard that his associates – including Byrne, hatched a plot to lure officers to 11 weapons – including three Skorpion submachine guns, three Heckler and Koch, and Uzi submachine gun and ammunition.