A KINAHAN cartel member who plunged to his death in Spain yesterday had been warned by the Gardai he was under threat.

Michael Cumberton — the younger brother of contract killer Eamonn — fell from the balcony of a hotel in Marbella.

The yob, whose death cops say appears to be accidental, had been living in Barcelona with a close associate of suspected mob hitman Marlo Hyland after being warned in 2016 that dissident republicans were plotting to kill him.

Gardai believe Michael was targeted to be whacked after his brother murdered Real IRA man Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in north inner city Dublin in April 2016.

But when officers presented him with the official Garda Information Message forms to warn him his life was in danger, he replied: “You can wipe your arses with them.”

We can reveal he had also been staying at mob head honcho Daniel Kinahan’s own apartment in Marbella as a favour to his brother after his arrest for the Barr hit.

During his time in the sun, he also worked closely with another man from north inner city Dublin who took over the mob’s drug dealing operations when they moved to Spain.

A source told the Irish Sun on Sunday that his passing will be a big loss to the mob.

They explained: “He fell off a balcony, it is being treated as a tragic accident. He had been staying in different parts of Spain with other cartel members and was a close associate of Daniel Kinahan.

“A female associate once told the Gardai that he had no problem with the Hutches and it was former republicans who wanted him dead because of his brother’s involvement in the Barr murder.

“He was a player for the cartel in Spain and this will be a huge blow to their operation over there.”

News of the death swept through the north inner city yesterday with people expressing their shock online.

A close relative paid tribute last night, saying: “Taken too soon so sad. Definitely will (be missed) was a character.”

We can reveal Michael returned to Ireland for a short time earlier this year and was spotted with another man in the Dorset Street area.

Gardai from Store Street and the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau have been made aware of the death.

Along with fellow contract killer Jonathan Keogh, Eamonn was offered €100,000 to get “jobs up and running” in their onslaught against Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch, his innocent family members and associates.

Investigators have claimed: “Kinahan is offering huge money to have the Hutch Organised Crime Group wiped out and they’re offering €1million for Gerard Hutch and €500,000 for the killing of James ‘Mago’ Gately.”

During his time in Spain, Eamonn was also suspected of targeting The Monk at a bar in Lanzarote in December 2015.

But Hutch spotted the assassin in the bar and immediately fled.