Daniel Kinahan

Daniel Kinahan (born 25 June 1977[1]) is an Irish reputed gang boss and boxing promoter from Dublin. He has been named by the High Court of Ireland as a senior figure in organised crime on a global scale.[2][3][4][5] The Criminal Assets Bureau has stated he "controlled and managed" the operations of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group (commonly referred to by the media as the Kinahan Cartel), a criminal organisation which smuggles drugs and firearms into Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe and "has associations that facilitate international criminal activity in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South America".[6][7][8][9][10] The Kinahan Cartel is party to the Hutch–Kinahan feud, which has resulted in 20 murders, most of which have taken place on the streets of Dublin.[11][12][13]

For the Ulster Unionist politician, see Danny Kinahan.

Kinahan was reported to have fled his "safe-haven" of Dubai on 9 July 2020 as a result of the EncroChat probes.[14]

Early life

Kinahan was born in 1977. He is the eldest son of Christy Kinahan, a convicted drug dealer widely reported to be the founder and leader of the Kinahan Cartel.[15]

In 2001, Kinahan was one of five people arrested in connection with a "vicious attack" on two members of the Garda Síochána outside Shelbourne Park greyhound stadium in May of that year. He was charged with assault and refused bail by Dublin District Court in July 2001. In January 2002, the charges were dropped.[1]

Kinahan Cartel

In a 2009 diplomatic cable sent from a US embassy in South America to The Pentagon, Kinahan was described as a "suspected international drug-trafficking figure".[1]

Kinahan was arrested in Spain in 2010, during a joint Spanish–Irish–British operation, in which SOCA, the predecessor to the UK's National Crime Agency, deployed more than 200 officers in the arrest phase of the multinational drug trafficking inquiry.[16]

Kinahan was the reported target of the 2016 Regency Hotel Shooting in which three people were shot, including Kinahan associate David Byrne (32), who was shot dead.[17][18] It was reported that the Garda Síochána believed Kinahan fled the attack by jumping out a window.[17] He has also been the target of at least one more assassination attempt.[16]

In 2018, a Spanish police officer told a court in Marbella that Kinahan had ordered the murder of gang rival Gary Hutch on the Costa del Sol in 2015.[19]

As of 2019, Kinahan lives in Dubai with brother Christopher Kinahan Jr.[20]

He is banned from entering the US, having been placed on a list of "narco terrorists", compiled by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration. There are 27 other associates of the Kinahan Cartel who are also banned from entering the US.[21] His father, Christy Kinahan, and brother Christopher Jr, are also barred from entering the US.[16] Kinahan is reported to be a target for the UK's National Crime Agency.[16]

DEA documents sent to the Dutch police exposed what would be a super drug cartel headed by Daniel Kinahan, Raffaele Imperiale (Camorra's drugs and arms dealer), Ridouan Taghi (former Dutch most wanted criminal, now in jail) and Edin G. (Bosnian drug trafficker). The group was observed by the DEA having meetings in the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, where is the base of the alleged cartel. The meetings took place in 2017, however, it only reached the Dutch media in October 2019. The DEA regards this as one of the world's fifty largest drug cartels, with a virtually monopoly of the Peruvian cocaine and would control around a third of the cocaine trade in Europe. Yet, according to the DEA documents, the destination for all the drugs shipments would be the Dutch ports.[22][23][24]

Boxing promotion controversy

In 2012 Kinahan founded MTK Global (originally named MGM) with Irish boxer Matthew Macklin in Marbella, Spain. Since its founding, MTK Global has signed a host of world-class fighters, such as Tyson Fury. In 2017, in the wake of the shooting of David Byrne of which Kinahan was considered the main target, MTK Global cut its ties with Kinahan.[25] However, he has remained a prominent figure in the international boxing world, including as an advisor and matchmaker for Fury.[26]

Despite cutting ties with MTK Global in February 2017, Kinahan remained an active figure in global boxing. On 10 June 2020, it was reported that Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua had reached an agreement in principle for a two-fight deal, which pundits touted as the "biggest fight in British boxing history". Fury publicly thanked Kinahan for helping to broker the agreement. "Big shout-out Dan, he got this done, literally over the line, two-fight deal, Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua next year." He said. "One problem, I’ve just got to smash Deontay Wilder’s face right in in the next fight and then we’re going to the Joshua fight next year."[27]

In June 2020, the Irish government expressed its "outrage" over the involvement of Kinahan in the brokering of the proposed boxing agreement, leading to Kinahan being named in the Irish parliament, Dáil Éireann, and being singled out by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, the country's prime minister.[28] The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs contacted authorities in the United Arab Emirates regarding Kinahan.[29] BBC News reported that "politicians, police officers and the public in Ireland are keen that the outside world get to know what they call the real Daniel Kinahan."[30]

Also in June 2020, Kinahan, who served as a "special adviser" to KHK Sports was dropped from the role after just a month. KHK Sports, owned by Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, a son of the king of Bahrain, enlisted the assistance of the head of international media relations for the Bahrain government, in communicating the statement of Kinahan's termination in the role to media outlets directly.[31][32]

Later in June 2020 Tyson Fury ended his relationship with Daniel Kinahan according to Bob Arum.[33]

References
  1. Brady, Tom (12 June 2020). "Who is Daniel Kinahan? From €1bn crime empire and murderous feuds, to his planned life as boxing promoter". Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  2. Reynolds, Paul (18 May 2020). "Daniel Kinahan 'reinventing' himself as boxing promoter". RTÉ News. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  3. "Promoter Behind Fury-Joshua Deal Provokes Outrage in Ireland". The New York Times. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  4. "Government urged to pressure UAE to eject crime boss Daniel Kinahan". The Irish Times. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  5. "Irish Government to write to UK counterparts over Daniel Kinahan controversy". The Telegraph. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  6. "Boxing promotions company MTK enters partnership with Daniel Kinahan". RTÉ News. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  7. "Outrage in Ireland over Tyson Fury thanking Daniel Kinahan". ESPN. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  8. McQuinn, Cormac (12 June 2020). "Daniel Kinahan: Outrage over Dublin gang boss role in world boxing showpiece". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  9. "Government to write to UK counterparts over Daniel Kinahan controversy". Press Association. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  10. "Daniel Kinahan 'reinventing' himself as boxing promoter". RTÉ News. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  11. Foy, Ken (11 September 2017). "Garda crackdown on crime has cost Kinahan gang millions as big hitters face criminal charges". Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  12. MacNamee, Garreth (17 May 2020). "The curious case of Daniel Kinahan: Cocaine scion or boxing power broker?". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  13. Güell, Oriol (7 November 2016). "Why is Irish drug trafficker Christy Kinahan still at liberty on the Costa del Sol?". EL PAÍS. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  14. Foy, Ken; Feehan, Conor (9 July 2020). "Gardai probe reports that hunted mob boss Kinahan has fled his safe-haven of Dubai". The Herald.
  15. Lally, Conor (17 February 2016). "The six unsolved gun murders linked to the Kinahan cartel". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  16. O'Neill, Sean (13 June 2020). "Daniel Kinahan: Tyson Fury's adviser is on radar of UK drug unit". The Times. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  17. O'Keeffe, Cormac (8 February 2016). "Gardaí believe main target jumped out a window to escape Regency hotel attack". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  18. Lally, Conor (8 February 2016). "Regency Hotel shooting: Cutbacks saw gardaí miss a big target". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  19. Gallagher, Conor (11 June 2020). "Daniel Kinahan's role in major boxing match draws ire". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  20. "How the Kinahan crime gang were jailed". RTÉ News. 4 August 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  21. "'Criminal parasite' Daniel Kinahan at centre of £200m fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua". The Sunday Times. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  22. "Taghi part of "super cartel" controlling third of EU cocaine trafficking: report". NL Times. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  23. "Bundelen cokekartels de krachten in Dubai?" (in Dutch).
  24. "Werkt Ridouan Taghi samen met deze drugshandelaren?" (in Dutch).
  25. "MTK distance themselves from Daniel Kinahan as they announce Ireland 'boycott'". Irish Independent.
  26. Rumsby, Ben; Davies, Gareth A. (10 June 2020). "Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury: Fighters have reached agreement over two-fight deal, says Eddie Hearn". The Telegraph.
  27. Rumsby, Ben; Davies, Gareth A. (10 June 2020). "Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury: Fighters have reached agreement over two-fight deal, says Eddie Hearn". The Telegraph.
  28. Government express ‘outrage’ to UK sports minister over Kinahan boxing involvement Irish Times, 2020-06-11
  29. Carroll, Rory (11 June 2020). "Irish government contacts UAE over crime boss role in Fury-Joshua bout". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  30. Harrison, Shane (11 June 2020). "Daniel Kinahan: Questions over Fury-Joshua fight promoter's 'drug gang links'". BBC News. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  31. Rumsby, Ben (16 June 2020). "Sports firm KHK drops Joshua-Fury broker Daniel Kinahan after controversy". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  32. Gallagher, Conor (16 June 2020). "Daniel Kinahan is dropped as adviser by sports company". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  33. de Menezes, Jack (24 June 2020). "Tyson Fury splits from controversial advisor Daniel Kinahan". The Independent. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
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