A Warrington man who has been accused of being a leading member of a drug gang remains in custody in Dubai.
Leon Cullen, 31, was named by police as a wanted man after they smashed a drug gang led by his brother Anthony.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that the gang was heavily armed, with a working AK47 at their disposal.
Anthony Cullen was jailed for 27 years in prison last January.
Leon Cullen was arrested under an international warrant on January 3 in Dubai.
Police have now said that Cullen is still in custody in Dubai but that extradition proceedings have now begun.
The United Arab Emirates has a controversial judicial and prison system where conditions are harsh.
The notorious Dubai central jail, in the middle of the Al Awir desert, is home to some of the country's most serious criminals including members of the Russian mafia.
Gangs are said to control sections of the jail and violence is common.
It is not clear which prison Cullen has been remanded in.
Last month an associate of Leon Cullen's was shot at in the street.
The man, a former amateur boxer, was shot at in Monks Place, Warrington on the morning on January 11.
The ECHO reported that gangs from Salford were behind the shooting, which left neighbours shocked. The intended target, a convicted drug dealer, was not hurt. We have decided not to name him.
Leon Cullen stands accused of being a leading member of a powerful drug gang which ruled the streets of Warrington with fear.
The gang dealt with powerful criminals from Manchester and Liverpool.
The gang used a front business, Future Press Ltd, to launder cash from their illicit trade and had a clear hierarchy and wage structure.
But the gang was also heavily involved in firearms and sold guns to other criminals.
Leon Cullen managed to flee the country as the police closed in on his brother and the rest of the organised crime group.
A recent court hearing heard that Anthony Cullen will be faced with a £378,139 confiscation order when he is eventually released from prison.
He was also handed a serious crime prevention order (SCPO), which restricts his lifestyle on release.
The SCPO, which will be imposed for five years from his prison release date, also restricts him to only owning two computers and two mobile phones at any time.
A spokesman for Cheshire Police said to the ECHO: "Leon Cullen remains under arrest and in custody in Dubai.
"The initial stages of extradition proceedings have now commenced."
