As Kinahan cartel lieutenant Sean McGovern was led away from the Special Criminal Court last week to begin a 24-year prison sentence, he took the time to wink in the direction of his watching relatives.

An act of defiance in the face of a crushing defeat, or a simple personal gesture?

In any event, the drugs empire that McGovern worked for is falling down, one foundation at a time.

At the top of this decaying tower sits Daniel Kinahan, currently in police custody in Dubai. The clock has been ticking for quite some time, but finally it seems like a day of reckoning is now dawning.

But what of those left behind in the sunshine of Dubai and the shadow of Daniel Kinahan – particularly the wives and girlfriends?

And what kind of conditions should Kinahan expect to experience should he wind up serving a lengthy prison sentence in Ireland?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, Tessa Fleming is joined by Sunday Independent senior journalist Maeve Sheehan, Financial Times investigative reporter Miles Johnson and former prison officer David McDonald as they look to the future of a notorious outfit that may soon be consigned to the past.

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