The Irish government jet is travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of an operation to extradite suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan.
Kinahan was arrested in Dubai under a warrant issued by the Irish courts in April but has fought attempts to extradite him.
His appeals have been unsuccessful and it is expected that he is due to be flown back to Ireland on Sunday, according to Irish broadcaster RTÉ.
He will then be taken to the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.
Real-time flight-tracking website Flightradar24 shows an Irish Air Corps plane approaching the UAE. It is currently the website’s most-tracked flight.
On Kinhan’s return to Ireland, RTÉ have said that a large security operation will be in place and the prison service has also upgraded facilities in the maximum-security Portlaoise Prison.
The US government imposed sanctions on him in April 2022 after he and other members of his family were identified as leaders of the Kinahan organised crime cartel.
Kinahan also had ties to the world of sport via his now defunct boxing management company MTK Global, which represented more than 100 boxers including Tyson Fury and Carl Frampton.
Irish authorities are expected to prosecute him for his involvement in leading an organised crime group.
An extradition agreement is in place between the UAE and Ireland and it was used to extradite Sean McGovern, a “senior lieutenant” in the organised crime group.
He was sentenced to 24 years in prison in June for directing the activities of a criminal organisation.
