Dubai police in Dublin to discuss Kinahan gang

The leaders of the Kinahan gang are believed to be in the United Arab Emirates

Senior police officers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are in Dublin as part of an international investigation into the Kinahan crime group.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ has reported that three senior Dubai officers met Garda (Irish police) Commissioner Drew Harris on Tuesday, prior to a further meeting with the force's Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Harris said that police in Dubai has already provided "great assistance" with their "ongoing investigations into transnational organised crime".

The support from this delegation "will further advance that co-operation", he added.

The investigation is examining links between the Kinahans' finances and the largest drugs seizure in the history of the Irish state.

Officials recovered more than two tonnes of cocaine after storming a Panamanian-registered ship, MV Matthew, last month.

The delegation's visit comes one day after the Irish justice minister, Helen McEntee, discussed the possibility of a bilateral treaty on extradition with her UAE counterpart.

The ministers also discussed the possibility of mutual legal assistance and the transfer of sentenced prisoners.

Speaking after the meeting, Ms McEntee said: "Our productive conversation this morning follows the visit of Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to Dubai last month to meet with Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, in addition to Irish officials travelling to the UAE for high level meetings in recent weeks.

"We are working to build upon the positive coalitions built by An Garda Síochána to tackle transnational crime, and are determined that borders will not be barriers to effective criminal justice co-operation,” she continued.

Who are the Kinahans?

The Regency Hotel murder in 2016 focussed public attention on the Kinahan gang and revealed its international links.

For more than 20 years the group has been responsible for importing tonnes of drugs and firearms around the world, the National Crime Agency says.

It is Ireland's wealthiest, most powerful and ruthless criminal gang.

The US Treasury Department describes the Kinahan cartel as one of the most dangerous in the world, comparable to crime organisations such as Italy's Camorra, Mexico's Los Zetas and Japan's Yakuza.

According to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, the gang is estimated to have made more than €1bn (£852,629,000) globally from its activities.

The Kinahan gang was founded by Christy Kinahan Sr but it is believed its day-to-day operations are now controlled by sons Daniel, in particular, and Christopher Jr.

In recent years Daniel Kinahan also got involved in high-profile boxing.

In April 2022 the US Federal Bureau of Investigations put up rewards of $5m (£3.8m) for the capture of the three men.

Daniel Kinahan has previously been named in the Irish courts as the head of one of Europe's most prominent drug gangs.

His father Christopher Snr and brother Christopher Jnr were also placed on an Office of Foreign Assets Control list.