Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch is set to be brought before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin this evening.
The 58-year-old was handed over to Gardaí in Madrid this afternoon and is being flown back to Ireland in an Air Corps plane.
He touched down at Baldonnel this evening before being brought to the Special Criminal Court to be charged with the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016.
Crime journalist Nicola Tallant said the court rejected his appeal weeks ago; however, the decision was only published this week after a plan for transporting him home to Ireland had been arranged.
“It was announced when they had arrangements in place with the Irish authorities to hand him over and get him safely back here on to Irish soil and safely into prison,” she said.
“He is still a target, and he would be a very high-profile prisoner to be bringing home.”
She said he is due to arrive at Baldonnel Airport this evening and is expected to be brought before the Special Criminal Court at around 7:30pm.
Hutch was arrested on foot of a European Arrest Warrant in the Fuengirola area of Spain last month.
He is wanted by Gardaí investigating the murder of David Byrne at the Dublin hotel in February 2016.
The attack saw a group of men - dressed as armed Gardaí – entering the hotel and opening fire at a boxing weigh-in.
David Byrne was shot dead and two other men were injured.
