Daniel Kinahan, the alleged leader of the Kinahan cartel organised crime group, has been arrested in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai police say that the 48-year-old was arrested on April 15, over a warrant issued by Irish courts. He was reportedly arrested by Dubai police within 48 hours of the warrant being issued.
The Irish law enforcement or the Garda, meanwhile, said that the his arrest was in accordance with a bilateral agreement on extradition between Ireland and the UAE. The Irish Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that he would face trial in Ireland for alleged organised crime offences.
Who is Daniel Kinahan?
Daniel Kinahan is known in Irish courts as one of Europe's most prominent drug gang leaders. Law enforcement agencies such as the DEA and the Europol said that the accused controlled upto a third of the cocaine trade in Europe.
He is known internationally as the head of the Kinahan Organised Crime group, called the Kinahan Cartel. A high court in Dublin had named him the head of the cartel that is worth hundred of millions or billions of euros.
He had been living in Dubai openly while allegedly operating the trafficking ring and being involved in professional boxing and its management.
The Garda have believed that Kinahan directed much of the gangland violence that unfolded in Ireland between 2015 and 2018, The Irish Times reported.
In 2022, the United States issued a $5 million reward for the capture of three leaders of the cartel, including Christy Kinahan and his sons Daniel and Christopher.
The Irish police are now conducting the process of charging him and moving to secure his extradition. The news of his arrest was made public only after the Garda and the Dubai police made it public after his detainment.
Kinahan is the second figure to be arrested in relation to the cartel. His close associate Sean McGovern was arrested in Dubai in 2024 and was extradited to Ireland last year.
Both of them were among the top seven figures in the cartel. At one time, all of them were based in Dubai and were sanctioned by the US Treasury Department on April 22.
Kinahan's wife Caomihe Robinson is also considered a central figure in the organisation's money laundering operations. Reports say that she bought and sold multimillion-euro properties in Dubai after international sanctions froze Kinahan's accounts. Robinson recently became the target of a €10 million asset recovery hunt by legal entities.
The arrest of Daniel involved a major diplomatic effort by the two countries. A spokesperson for the Dubai police said, “Dubai police further reaffirmed their commitment to supporting global efforts to combat organised crime and pursuing internationally wanted individuals.They also highlighted the importance of close cooperation with law enforcement agencies worldwide to enhance security, strengthen partnerships, and ensure safer communities.”