At the World Police Summit in Dubai, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris expressed his consternation about the rise of the Kinahan crime syndicate, which he revealed started as a minor Dublin crime outfit in the 1980s but has subsequently amassed a fortune exceeding €1 billion. The Irish law enforcement, he said, are now teaming up with their counterparts in the UAE, including the Dubai Police, in a bid to dissolve the cartel and hold its leaders accountable.
During his keynote speech before attendees from across the globe, Mr Harris underscored the widespread impact of offenses designed in one territory, pointing out that they can leave victims and traces anywhere in the world. He thus stressed the urgency of ramping up the dissemination of not only knowledge and intelligence but also the encapsulation of collective competency and insights.
Mr Harris highlighted the concept, “it takes a network to dismantle a crime network”, as particularly apt in the ongoing endeavour, alongside international partners from the US, UK, Spain, Europol and Dubai, to dismantle the Kinahan crime organisation.
He talked about Kinahan’s connected culprits in the Republic who have faced conviction and imprisonment in recent years – many due to their involvement in the Kinahan-Hutch clash – however, endeavours to bring the Dubai-residing group leaders to trial persist.
Among his remarks, Mr Harris also mentioned the financial constraints enforced by US officials on seven major individuals linked to the cartel, inclusive of its founder, Christy Kinahan and his offspring, Daniel and Christopher Jnr. The US Treasury’s Foreign Assets Control announced these sanctions during an April 2022 gathering at Dublin Castle attended by police officers and other officials from the US, UK, and continental Europe.
In his address at the World Police Summit, Mr Harris regretfully acknowledged the Kinahan syndicate’s humble beginnings in Dublin during the 1980s, and their gradual evolution into a billion-euro organised criminal group. “Their fortune”, he added,” was built on the back of murders, brutality, international drug trafficking, and acts of intimidation.
An Garda Síochána has made substantial progress against a well-known gang in recent years, through the arrest of pivotal members and substantial seizures of drugs, money, and weapons. Nonetheless, given its global scale, it was understood that comprehensive impact on the upper ranks of this organisation could only be achieved through international co-operation.
In April 2022, US federal authorities, near where the Kinahan crime gang was initially established in Dublin, declared a cross-border initiative aiming to dismantle the gang, offering financial incentives for information leading to the capture of the gang’s leaders. This exemplifies the importance of global collaboration in combating crime.
Mr Harris, visiting Dubai for the second time as part of a small Garda delegation, had a meeting with His Excellency Lt General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, the Dubai Police commander in chief, on Thursday. They previously met in Dubai, along with Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, last September while a Dubai Police contingent visited Ireland last October.
The ongoing meetings and Mr Harris’s visit to Dubai this week form part of continuous initiatives to foster a sustained bond with the authorities in Dubai. Ireland is further aiming to establish a mechanism that would permit Irish criminals, who are wanted for serious charges in the Republic, to be extradited.
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