Daniel Kinahan
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Daniel Joseph Kinahan (born 25 June 1977) is an Irish boxing promoter and suspected
crime boss A crime boss, also known as a crime lord, mafia don, mob boss, kingpin, or godfather is the leader of a criminal organization. Description A crime boss has absolute or nearly absolute control over the other members of the organization and is ...
. He has been named by the High Court of Ireland as a senior figure in organised crime on a global scale. The
Criminal Assets Bureau The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) () is a law enforcement agency in Ireland. The CAB was established with powers to focus on the illegally acquired assets of criminals involved in serious crime. The aims of the CAB are to identify the criminally ...
has stated he "controlled and managed" the operations of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group (commonly called 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". The Kinahan Cartel has had an ongoing feud with the Hutch Gang. The feud began in 2015, when Gary Hutch was murdered in Marbella, Spain by the Kinahan gang. As of August 2021, at least 18 people have been killed in the feud. In October 2022 the head of the An Garda Síochána Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stated in an affidavit to the Irish High Court that Kinahan had "sanctioned a number of murders" as part of the Hutch–Kinahan feud, during a CAB court case where properties were ordered seized by the judge as it was proven they were the proceeds of crime. In October 2024, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris urged Kinahan's associates to turn him in for the US offered reward of $15m and witness protection.


Early life

Kinahan was born in
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
on 25 June 1977, the eldest son of Jean Boylan (died 2014) and Christy Kinahan. His father is a convicted drug dealer who was widely reported to be the founder and leader of the Kinahan Cartel. Kinahan grew up in Tallaght and then returned to Dublin, where he lived in Oliver Bond flats in the Liberties area. At the age of 23, he was one of five people arrested in connection with a "vicious attack" on two members of the
Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace") is the national police and security service of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards". The service is headed by the Garda Commissio ...
outside Shelbourne Park; he was charged with assault and refused bail by Dublin District Court. The charges were dropped the next year. Kinahan previously ran a furniture store in Dublin. In 2007, Kinahan was reported to be part of a bet-to-lose syndicate involving jockey
Kieren Fallon Kieren Francis Fallon (born 22 February 1965 in Crusheen, County Clare, Ireland) is a retired Irish professional flat racing jockey and was British flat racing Champion Jockey, British Champion Jockey six times. Care ...
.


Kinahan Cartel


Overview

In a 2009 diplomatic cable sent from a U.S. embassy in South America to
The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...
, Kinahan was described as a "suspected international drug-trafficking figure". Kinahan was arrested in Spain in 2010 during a joint operation between Spanish, Irish, and British authorities, in which the British
Serious Organised Crime Agency The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) was a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom which existed from 1 April 2006 until 7 October 2013. SOCA was a national law enforcement agency with Home Office sponsorship, e ...
(the predecessor to the
National Crime Agency The National Crime Agency (NCA) is a Law enforcement agency#natlea, national law enforcement agency in the United Kingdom. It is the UK's lead agency against organised crime; Human trafficking, human, Arms trafficking, weapon and Illegal drug t ...
) deployed more than 200 officers in the arrest phase of the multinational drug trafficking inquiry. Kinahan was the reported target of the 2016 Regency Hotel Shooting in Dublin, in which three people were shot, including 32-year-old Kinahan associate David Byrne, who was shot dead. It was reported that the Garda Síochána believed Kinahan fled the attack by jumping out of a window. He has also been the target of at least one more assassination attempt. 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.


Ban on entering the United States

He is banned from entering the US, having been placed on a list of " narco terrorists", compiled by the
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
and
Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating illicit Illegal drug trade, drug trafficking a ...
. There are 27 other associates of the Kinahan Cartel who are also banned from entering the US. His father, Christy Kinahan, and brother Christopher Jr, are also banned from entering the US. Kinahan is reported to be a target for the UK's National Crime Agency.


Drug Enforcement Agency documents

DEA documents sent to the Dutch police exposed what would be a super drug cartel headed by Daniel Kinahan, Raffaele Imperiale (
Camorra The Camorra (; ) is an Italian Mafia-typeMafia and Mafia-type orga ...
's drugs and arms dealer), Ridouan Taghi (Dutch criminal, now in jail) and Edin Gačanin (Bosnian drug trafficker). The group was observed by the DEA having meetings in the
Burj Al Arab The Jumeirah Burj Al Arab (, ), commonly known as Burj Al Arab, is a luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Developed and managed by Jumeirah, it is one of the tallest hotels in the world, although 39% of its total height is made up of ...
hotel in Dubai, 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 virtual monopoly of Peruvian cocaine and it would control around a third of the cocaine trade in Europe. According to the DEA documents, the destination for all the drugs shipments would be Dutch ports.


Criminal Assets Bureau case

In March 2022, it was revealed that the
Criminal Assets Bureau The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) () is a law enforcement agency in Ireland. The CAB was established with powers to focus on the illegally acquired assets of criminals involved in serious crime. The aims of the CAB are to identify the criminally ...
was pursuing a case against Kinahan, Jim Mansfield Jnr and fellow cartel member Thomas "Bomber" Kavanagh. The case had been pursued for over a year in secret, with Mansfield as the main target, with Kinahan and Kavanagh, among others as respondents. A three-hour podcast interview by James English was to be released on 17 March 2022, but English announced on 14 March that the podcast was cancelled due to legal issues.


United States sanctions

In April 2022 the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the
United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the Treasury, national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current United States federal executive departments, U.S. government departments. ...
imposed sanctions on Daniel Kinahan, his father Christy Kinahan and brother Christy Kinahan Jr. as well as four other key associates of the Kinahan family. The OFAC notice refers to the family and its associates collectively as the "Kinahan Organized Crime Group" or "KOCG." The action adds the Crime Group to the
Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List The Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, also known as the SDN List, is a United States government sanctions/embargo measure targeting U.S.-designated terrorists, officials and beneficiaries of certain authoritarian regimes, a ...
, pursuant to the United States
International Emergency Economic Powers Act The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Title II of , is a United States federal law authorizing the president to regulate international commerce after declaring a national emergency in response to any unusual and extraordinar ...
and . The addition to SDN List blocks any property of the designated persons within the United States financial system, and prohibits United States persons from business dealings with them. Violations of the sanctions, including assisting in their evasion, come with a maximum criminal penalty of twenty years imprisonment. On 12 April 2022, the
United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...
announced the offering of rewards of up to US$5 million under the
Narcotics Rewards Program The Narcotics Rewards Program is a program of the United States Department of State that offers rewards for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of major international narcotics traffickers who send drugs into the United States. It ...
for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the Kinahan family members. The reward is offered jointly with the
Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace") is the national police and security service of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards". The service is headed by the Garda Commissio ...
,
National Crime Agency The National Crime Agency (NCA) is a Law enforcement agency#natlea, national law enforcement agency in the United Kingdom. It is the UK's lead agency against organised crime; Human trafficking, human, Arms trafficking, weapon and Illegal drug t ...
, and
Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating illicit Illegal drug trade, drug trafficking a ...
. On the morning of Monday 13 September 2022, a combined force of six enforcement agencies led by the Spanish Civil Guard's elite Central Operative Unit, arrested English-born former Cork restaurateur John Francis "Johnny" Morrissey at his villa in Marbella, Spain. Known to be a former enforcer and current money-launderer for the KOCG, he was the first of the seven named by the OFAC to be arrested, having fled Ireland more than 20 years before after reportedly being involved in a bid to harm a Criminal Assets Bureau officer in Ireland. Morrissey gained notoriety from being part of the team publicising his wife Nicola's Scottish-based Nero Drinks Company Ltd, which was thought to be part of Morrissey's €200 million
EUR The euro (symbol: €; currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the euro area or, more commonly, the eurozone. The euro is divided into 10 ...
annual money-laundering operation, leading to her arrest as well at the same time.


Bank accounts freeze

On 21 April 2022, the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
froze his assets, including both personal and business bank accounts.


Seizure and sale of Dublin home

A house in the Coldwater Lakes area of Saggart was searched by Gardaí on 29 January 2015. Evidence that Daniel Kinahan had lived there was found, including a passport in his name and an
Aer Lingus Aer Lingus ( ; an anglicisation of the Irish language, Irish , meaning "air fleet") is an Irish airline company which is the flag carrier of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded by the Irish Government, it was privatised between 2006 and 201 ...
baggage sticker also in his name. Also found were a
Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish Low-cost carrier#Ultra low-cost carrier, ultra low-cost airline group headquartered in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. The parent company, Ryanair Holdings plc, includes subsidiaries Ryanair , Malta Air, Buzz (Ryanair), Buzz ...
boarding pass on an
iPad The iPad is a brand of tablet computers developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple that run the company's mobile operating systems iOS and later iPadOS. The IPad (1st generation), first-generation iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010. ...
in the name of his younger brother Christopher and documentation relating to James Quinn, who is in jail in Spain on murder charges. Matthew Macklin was in the house at the time of the search, along with items belonging to MTK Global. The
Criminal Assets Bureau The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) () is a law enforcement agency in Ireland. The CAB was established with powers to focus on the illegally acquired assets of criminals involved in serious crime. The aims of the CAB are to identify the criminally ...
tried to contact Daniel Kinahan in relation to the house, but he did not reply. The High Court was told in 2022 that Daniel Kinahan and Thomas Kavanagh had given €4.5m in two suitcases to Jim Mansfield Jnr to invest, but that the deal had collapsed when his finances suffered during the economic downturn. He later reached a deal with them to repay the house, which he had owned since 2014. The court also heard that Macklin was courteous, but declined to answer questions. The court found the property to be proceeds of drug trafficking. It is the first such property to be seized from him. It is to be auctioned by the CAB on 12 December 2024 with a minimum opening bed of €550,000.


Recommended charges regarding Eddie Hutch Snr.

In March 2024 Gardaí recommended that he be charged over the killing of Eddie Hutch Snr.


Boxing promotion


Overview

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 Tyson Luke Fury (born 12 August 1988) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 2008 to 2024. He held multiple world heavyweight championships, including unified titles from 2015 to 2016, the '' Ring'' magazine title twice bet ...
and Darren Till. In 2017, in the wake of the shooting of David Byrne of which Kinahan was considered the main target, MTK Global claimed to have cut its ties with Kinahan. However, he has remained a prominent figure in the international boxing world, including as an advisor and matchmaker for Fury. Despite the apparent cutting of 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 Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua (born 15 October 1989) is a British professional boxer. He held the unified champion, unified world heavyweight championship twice between 2016 and 2021. At regional level, he held the British Boxing Board of C ...
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. In March 2022, Mauricio Sulaimán, President World Boxing Council (WBC) said of Kinahan: “I am nobody to judge any person, and that has been the policy of our organisation, to combat all types of discrimination and abuse of power, before any person and group. That is why Daniel will have our full support in his quest to bring benefits to boxing.” In June 2020, the
Irish government The Government of Ireland () is the executive authority of Ireland, headed by the , the head of government. The government – also known as the cabinet – is composed of ministers, each of whom must be a member of the , which consists of ...
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 Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...
, and being singled out by
Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Leo Varadkar Leo Eric Varadkar ( ; born 18 January 1979) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 2017 to 2020 and from 2022 to 2024, as Tánaiste from 2020 to 2022, and as leader of Fine Gael from 2017 to 2024. A Teachta Dála, ...
, the country's prime minister. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs contacted authorities in the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
regarding Kinahan.
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
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." 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.


''Panorama'' documentary

In February 2021
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
''Panorama'' broadcast a report on Kinahan's involvement in boxing. Barry McGuigan spoke of intimidation in boxing. Daniel Kinahan denied the allegations. Robert Smith, of the
British Boxing Board of Control The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) is the governing body of professional boxing in the United Kingdom. History The British Boxing Board of Control was formed in 1929 from the old National Sporting Club and is headquartered in Cardiff. ...
, said that there was nothing that the Board could do about Kinahan. On the ''Panorama'' programme, lawyers acting for MTK Global confirmed that Kinahan was still advising fighters. Smith said "It was disappointing for the sport, obviously, but the gentleman is not licensed by the British Boxing Board in any capacity. We don’t license MTK as a promoter. We license individuals so the named promoter is Lee Eaton and he is the only person we deal with." (Lee Eaton is an employee of MTK Global.) Smith said that a loophole in the regulations of the Board meant that they were powerless to regulate "advisers" such as Kinahan. On 5 February the
Police Service of Northern Ireland The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ; Ulster-Scots: '), is the police service responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it ...
(PSNI) announced that the ''Panorama'' team who produced the documentary had been threatened. One journalist was forced to move out of his home in Northern Ireland and his family were moved to a secure location under PSNI protection due to a threat to his life. On 7 February 2021 Billy Joe Saunders, a boxer who employs Kinahan as adviser, sent journalist Nicola Tallant direct messages on Twitter challenging her "write something positive about Daniel Kinahan" in exchange for being granted a face-to-face interview with Kinahan. Tallant, who writes for the '' Sunday World'', rejected the offer. On 8 February 2021, Kinahan issued a statement to
Talksport Talksport (styled as talkSPORT) is a sports radio station in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned by News Broadcasting. Its content includes live coverage of sporting events, interviews with the leading names in sport and entertai ...
in the UK denying that he was part of any criminal organisation. He also denied making threats to a journalist and confirmed that he was still involved in boxing. He claimed the ''Panorama'' programme "was a rehash of unsubstantiated allegations that have been made previously on many occasions". He criticised the
Special Criminal Court The Special Criminal Court (SCC; ) is a juryless criminal court in Ireland which tries terrorism and serious organised crime cases. Legal basis Article 38 of the Constitution of Ireland empowers the Dáil to establish "special courts" with ...
(despite being named as very senior figure in organised crime on a global scale by the High Court – not the SCC) and said he had no convictions. Kinahan has never contested findings of fact made against him in Irish courts.


Summons issued

In December 2020 a racketeering summons was served to him in Dubai by US lawyers. Boxing promoter Moses Herrida filed a civil cause of action over the signing of Joseph Diaz while he was under contract to Herrida Boxing Management. He alleged that after Diaz won the world championship in 2020 MTK had offered him an advance of $100,000 (₡81,500) in breach of a five-year contract the boxer had signed with HBM. Herrida also claims that Daniel Kinahan and MTK are in breach of the
RICO Act The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was e ...
, which can be used in civil cases. Herrida alleges that Kinahan founded MTK Global as a "front business" to launder illicit proceeds from
drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, ...
and that despite claims that Kinahan is no longer involved with the organisation he is still "influencing and controlling" it. Kinahan has to file a response with the
United States District Court for the Central District of California The United States District Court for the Central District of California (in case citations, C.D. Cal.; commonly referred to as the CDCA or CACD) is a United States district court, federal trial court that serves over 19 million people in South ...
or face judgement being entered against him by default.


Personal life

As of 2019, Kinahan and his brother Christopher Jr. live in
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
. According to the
Office of Foreign Assets Control The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is a financial intelligence and enforcement agency of the United States Department of the Treasury, United States Treasury Department. It administers and enforces economic and trade economic sanctions, ...
, he has a residence in the
Palm Jumeirah The Palm Jumeirah is an archipelago of artificial islands on the Persian Gulf in Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is part of a larger series of developments called the Palm Islands, including Palm Jebel Ali and the Dubai Islands, ...
. He was married in May 2017 at the
Burj Al Arab The Jumeirah Burj Al Arab (, ), commonly known as Burj Al Arab, is a luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Developed and managed by Jumeirah, it is one of the tallest hotels in the world, although 39% of its total height is made up of ...
. Guests included criminals from various backgrounds such as Ridouan Taghi (Moroccan-Dutch), Ricardo Riquelme Vega (Chilean), and Raffaele Imperiale (Italian). Dutch police are investigating claims by a man known as Nabil B that they were working together after the wedding party helped investigators identify a "super cartel" alliance. Messages recovered from Ennetcom servers have also supported claims that the criminals in question are doing business together. Kinahan is married to Caoimhe Robinson since 2017. Formerly the partner of murdered drug lord Micka Kelly, Robinson is from the Coolock area of Dublin.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kinahan, Daniel Irish gangsters Living people Boxing promoters Kinahan Organised Crime Group Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List Criminals from Dublin (city) 1977 births