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Kinahan Organised Crime Group
2022 wanted posters of Christy and Christopher Jr. Kinahan by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Founded1990s
Founded byChristopher Vincent Kinahan, Sr.[1]
Founding locationDublin, Ireland
Years active1990s–present
TerritoryIreland, United Kingdom, Spain, United Arab Emirates
Criminal activitiesDrug trafficking, money laundering, murder, arms trafficking, extortion, blackmailing[2]
Allies
Rivals

The Kinahan Organised Crime Group (KOCG), also known as the Kinahan Cartel, is a major Irish transnational organised crime syndicate alleged to be the most powerful in Ireland and one of the largest organised crime groups in the world.[8][9][10] It is also established in the United Kingdom, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.[11] It was founded by Christy Kinahan in the 1990s. His eldest son, Daniel manages the day-to-day operations of the family's criminal group.[12] Estimated reports have credited them with wealth of up to €1 billion.[13][14]

The Kinahan Cartel has had an ongoing feud with the Hutch Gang since 2015, which has resulted in 18 deaths as of August 2021.[15][16][17][18]

Background

The Kinahan Organised Crime Group was founded by Christy Kinahan in the late 1990s and early 2000s while Ireland's "Celtic Tiger" period of rapid economic growth was occurring.[10][19] A native Dubliner, Kinahan's first convictions date back to the late 1970s and involved house breaking, car theft, burglary, handling stolen goods and forgery.[20][21] The group reportedly began as a street gang of inner-city drug dealers in Dublin, but soon grew on a global scale to become the current multi-million dollar criminal network that it is today.[22] Christy Kinahan served as the direct leader of the organisation up until the position was passed on to his son Daniel Kinahan.[23] Since then, Irish courts have concluded that the group is a murderous organisation involved in the international trafficking of drugs and firearms.[24][25]

On 12 April 2022, the United States Department of State announced the offering of rewards of up to US$5 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Kinahan family members. The reward is offered jointly with the Garda Síochána, National Crime Agency, and Drug Enforcement Administration.[26][27][28] The seven key members were named as: Daniel Kinahan; Christopher Kinahan; Christopher Kinahan Jnr; veteran Dublin-born criminal Bernard Clancy; Daniel Kinahan’s “advisor and closest confidant" Sean McGovern; former KOCG enforcer now Marbella-based money launderer "Johnny Cash" Morrissey; and Ian Dixon who was arrested over the 2015 Costa del Sol murder of Gary Hutch but never charged.[29]

Despite the sanctions being imposed on the group, it was reported in August 2022 that Spanish-based associates of the Kinahan cartel were continuing to operate multi-million-euro drug shipments.[30] "Johnny Cash" Morrissey and his wife Nicola were arrested in Marbella, Spain on Monday 13 September 2022.[29]

Kinahan family and associates

A chart of persons the Office of Foreign Assets Control designates for sanctions

The Kinahan crime family is primarily involved in the drug trade.[31]

  • Christy Kinahan – Also known as "the Dapper Don",[32] Christy is the founder of the Kinahan crime group.[33] He has served prison sentences in Ireland, The Netherlands and Belgium, including six years for dealing heroin, two-and-a-half years for possession of cocaine, and four years for money laundering.
  • Daniel Kinahan – Christy's eldest son, and allegedly manages the day-to-day operations of the family's criminal empire.[33] A boxing promoter, Daniel has worked as an advisor for Tyson Fury.[34]
  • Ross Browning - A native of Dublin, Ireland, he is one of the Kinahan family's top lieutenants. Considered Daniel Kinahan's right-hand man, he has been responsible for the operations of the Kinahan crime syndicate in Ireland for over two decades and as a result, he has become a priority target for the Gardaí and the CAB due to his proximity to Daniel Kinahan.[35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42]
  • Paul Rice – A high-ranking member of the Kinahan family, he is known for being extremely violent and because of this, he is considered a high-value target by other enemy gangs.[43][44][45]
  • Thomas "Bomber" Kavanagh – One of the leaders of the Kinahan family (he is the second-in-command),[46] he is considered by many to be Ireland's most feared mobster and is considered the main name of the Kinahan family in the United Kingdom.[47][48] He is known to be brutal and violent, being responsible for at least seven murders.[49] He is also known for being the head of the UK branch of the Kinahan gang.[50]
  • Freddie Thompson – A cousin of Liam Byrne, he was the head of the Dublin branch of the Kinahan gang from 1997 to 2008, when he had to leave Ireland over a feud he had with the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA).[51] He is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of David Douglas.[52]
  • Liam Byrne – A notorious and dangerous Dublin gangster, he is a high-ranking member of the Kinahan Family. He comes from a criminal family led by his father James Byrne (who was an associate of notorious Irish gangster Martin "The General" Cahill) and is the older brother of David Byrne, an associate of the Kinahan Family who was murdered on 5 February 2016 at the Regency Hotel in Whitehall, Dublin.
  • Gerard "Hatchet" Kavanagh – He was believed to have worked as a debt collector and enforcer for the Kinahans.[53] He was shot dead on 5 September 2014 in Elivira, Marbella. Aged 44 at the time of his death, he had been heavily involved in the drug trade for over 20 years.[54]
  • Imre "The Butcher" Arakas – A notorious Estonian hitman, he is known for committing murders in several European countries, such as Estonia, Lithuania, Spain and Ireland, in addition to having killed dozens of members of the Russian Mafia.[55]
  • Declan "Mr Nobody" Brady – One of Daniel Kinahan's closest associates, he holds some of the most important positions within the gang: he is the main logistics man and quartermaster of the Kinahans, being primarily responsible for the gang's weapons depot and for their safety as a result.[56]
  • Ciaran O'Driscoll – A footsoldier for the gang, he has a criminal record that ranges from possession of illegal drugs to attempted murder.[57]
  • Leon Griffin – A footsoldier for the gang, he is a friend of Freddie Thompson and is known to be one of the most brutal and volatile criminals not only in the Kinahan family, but in all of Dublin.[58]
  • Sean Gerard McGovern – Daniel Kinahan's advisor and closest confidant. He has managed communications on behalf of Daniel Kinahan and sells multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine.[24]
  • Ian Thomas Dixon – He has arranged multiple payments on behalf of Daniel Kinahan, as well as moved bulk currency in Ireland and the United Kingdom.[24]
  • Bernard Patrick Clancy – A childhood friend of Daniel Kinahan. He was previously jailed for drugs offences on the Costa del Sol.[9]
  • John Francis "Johnny Cash" Morrissey – Manchester, England-born former Cork restaurateur, Morrissey worked as an enforcer before fleeing Ireland in the early 2000's after reportedly being involved in a bid to harm an Irish Criminal Assets Bureau officer. Based in Marbella, Spain ever since, Morrissey allegedly became the KOCG drugs shipping organiser and money launderer. 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 Morrissey at his villa in Marbella - the first of the seven men named by the United States' Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in April 2022 to be arrested. Morrissey had 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 Eur200M annual money-laundering operation, leading to her arrest as well at the same time.[29]

References

  1. ^ Fetherstonhaugh, Neil (22 May 2022). "Kinahan cartel working with Russian 'FBI' to move drugs across Europe, expert reveals". Sunday World. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  2. ^ Townsend, Mark (16 April 2022). "Catching the Kinahans: the officers risking their lives to jail Ireland's most violent gang leaders". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  3. ^ Hand, John (25 April 2022). "Kinahan gang's drug route exposed as cartel 'employs African thugs to threaten EU port workers'". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  4. ^ MacNamee, Garreth (1 December 2017). "Kinahan cartel under surveillance in Dubai after senior member met Italian mafia boss there". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  5. ^ O'Reilly, Alison (7 May 2022). "Kinahan cartel carried out 'at least 20' murders across Europe". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  6. ^ Foy, Ken (12 May 2016). "Kinahan cartel thug boasts: I can buy off any 'New IRA' hitmen". Irish Independent. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  7. ^ Hand, John (30 December 2021). "Kinahan cartel's Irish operation continues to crumble as net closes on mobster Daniel". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  8. ^ Pogatchnik, Shawn (12 April 2022). "US puts $5M bounty on heads of Irish gang based in Dubai". Politico. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  9. ^ a b Fetherstonhaugh, Neil (12 April 2022). "Revealed: The seven 'key members' of Kinahan cartel hit with sanctions by the US". Sunday World. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Kinahan Cartel: US sanctions cartel leader with links to Tyson Fury". BBC News. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Kinahan crime gang: United Arab Emirates freezes assets after US sanctions". BBC News. 21 April 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  12. ^ Schiller, Robin (17 May 2022). "Revealed: How codenames and gang tip-offs from $5m bounty bring endgame closer for Kinahan cartel". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Explained: US sanctions on Kinahan gang members". BreakingNews.ie. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  14. ^ Gillespie, Tom (3 May 2022). "Kinahan cartel: 'Nobody is untouchable' - how the net is tightening around Ireland's $1billion drug gang". Sky News. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ MacNamee, Garreth (17 May 2020). "The curious case of Daniel Kinahan: Cocaine scion or boxing power broker?". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ Reynolds, Paul (31 August 2020). "Two Kinahan gang members jailed over plot to kill Patrick Hutch". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  19. ^ Michael, Neil (19 May 2022). "Gardaí review list of 600 names linked to Kinahan crime family". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  20. ^ Lally, Conor (8 February 2016). "Who is the kingpin behind Irish-led cartel based in Spain?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  21. ^ Mooney, John (1 May 2016). "Is crime boss Christy Kinahan untouchable?". The Times. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  22. ^ Healy, Paul (13 April 2022). "Father of Kinahan cartel victim Michael Barr from Co Tyrone hopes for justice". Belfast Live. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  23. ^ Reynolds, Paul (18 May 2020). "Daniel Kinahan 'reinventing' himself as boxing promoter". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  24. ^ a b c "Treasury Sanctions Notorious Kinahan Organized Crime Group". United States Department of the Treasury. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  25. ^ "Cooperating at an International Level in Protecting Communities from Organised & Serious Crime" (PDF). www.garda.ie. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  26. ^ "Department of State Offers Reward for Information to Bring Three Irish Transnational Criminals to Justice". United States Department of State. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  27. ^ "Kinahan organised crime group sanctioned by US Department of the Treasury". Europol. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  28. ^ "Kinahan crime group hit with worldwide financial sanctions". National Crime Agency. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  29. ^ a b c Gerard Couzens (15 September 2022). "Kinahan cartel dealt devastating blow as 'key' man Johnny Morrissey arrested in Costa del Sol". Sunday World. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  30. ^ Schiller, Robin (1 August 2022). "Kinahan lieutenants continue to operate drug runs to Ireland and UK from Spanish hideaway despite sanctions". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  31. ^ MacIntyre, Darragh (2020). "The suspected gangster at the heart of world boxing". BBC. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  32. ^ "'Dapper Don' Christy Kinahan won't be worried about a charge of passport fraud, but the net is closing in on the cartel he built". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  33. ^ a b "Two veteran Irish criminals, one vicious feud, two cold-blooded assassinations. Who's who in the Gang War". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  34. ^ Corby, Donagh (12 April 2022). "Tyson Fury's promoter to sever all ties with boxing adviser Daniel Kinahan". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  35. ^ Dublin Live: Kinahan cartel lieutenant bought house with '8-year-old son’s chequebook'
  36. ^ Sunday World: MOB MILLIONS | Ross Browning is the Kinahan cartel’s ‘principal’ man in Ireland, CAB tells court
  37. ^ Sunday World: CIVIL WAR | Kinahan boss Ross Browning used drug mule as ‘link man’ to Mr Flashy's Gucci Gang court hears
  38. ^ Sunday World: ASSETS TARGETED | Kinahan cartel’s Irish network exposed by CAB in case against gangster Ross Browning
  39. ^ Sunday World: CRIME TARGET | CAB case against Kinahan cartel lieutenant Ross Browning to be heard in October
  40. ^ Sunday World: CASE ADJOURNED | Kinahan Cartel lieutenant Ross Browning puts up no defence in CAB case
  41. ^ Sunday World: CAB CASE | Kinahan cartel member Ross Browning and associates told to have affidavits before the High Court by December
  42. ^ RTÉ: Families of Kinahan gang member Ross Browning reject CAB claims at High Court
  43. ^ Foy, Ken (18 August 2016). "Kinahan enforcer Paul Rice turns home into fortress following death threat". Irish Independent.
  44. ^ "Major Irish gang targeted in €8m drugs bust in Spain". Irish Independent.
  45. ^ Foy, Ken (7 June 2021). "Gangster Paul Rice calls in all debts after massive drugs seizure leaves him 'short of cash'". Sunday World.
  46. ^ "Kinahan cartel boss Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh to appeal 21-year sentence as he looks for move to Irish prison". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  47. ^ "Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh jailed for 21 years after Kinahan gang imported more than £30m in drugs into UK". Sky News. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  48. ^ "Profile: Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh - the Kinahans' 'main man' in UK and a criminal career which began five decades ago in Dublin". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  49. ^ "GANGLAND GODFATHER: Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh 'plotted' SEVEN Kinahan cartel murders including his two cousins". Sunday World. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  50. ^ "Thomas Kavanagh profile – Kinahan ally to UK drugs smuggler". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  51. ^ "Liam Byrne: Daniel Kinahan's lieutenant in Dublin". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  52. ^ MacNamee, Garreth (2018-09-19). "Freddie Thompson moved to protective custody after row with another killer". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  53. ^ Lally, Conor. "Irish man shot dead in suspected gangland murder in Spanish bar". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  54. ^ Lally, Conor. "Gardaí and Spanish police seek motive for Kavanagh killing". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  55. ^ "'He is an unusual celebrity': Colourful career of Estonian hitman foiled by gardaí". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  56. ^ "The women who laundered cash for the Kinahan crime gang". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  57. ^ "POSSESSION: Kinahan Cartel 'footsoldier' gets three-month sentence for having cannabis in prison". Sunday World. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  58. ^ "More jail time for one of capital's most volatile criminals who worked for Kinahan cartel". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
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