Gardaí are being deployed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – where the leadership of the Kinahan cartel is based – as part of an expansion of the force’s international network.
Gardaí are also to patrol the streets of Paris this summer and are being deployed to Thailand, according to plans announced by the Department of Justice on Wednesday.
The assignments form part of the international Garda Liaison Officer Network. Gardaí are already posted in the United States, Spain, Britain, Columbia and the Netherlands where they are attached to the Irish embassies.
The new Garda Liaison Officers (GLOs) will be crucial “in pursuing criminals who spread misery here in Ireland, as well as abroad,” Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said.
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“We have seen the importance of international law enforcement coalitions in recent months as, through collaboration and co-operation with their partners, An Garda Síochána have enjoyed success in pursuing Irish criminals abroad, such as the Kinahan Organised Crime Group.”
GLOs engage with local police forces and exchange information on the activities and movements of people with connection to Ireland, she said.
It is hoped the appointment of a liaison officer to Abu Dhabi in the UAE will improve relations with police forces there and facilitate possible future actions against the Kinahan cartel.
The cartel’s leadership, Christy Kinahan and his sons Daniel Kinahan and Christy Kinahan Junior, are residents in the UAE state of Dubai where they have extensive property holdings.
The UAE announced the freezing of the men’s assets earlier this year. This followed an announcement of US sanctions and travel bans targeting the cartel in April.
The GLO appointed to Abu Dhabi will have responsibility for the Middle East region while the GLO in Bangkok in Thailand will cover the southeast Asia and Australasia regions.
Two gardaí will be attached temporarily to the French National Police and the Gendarmerie following a request from the French government for assistance in policing Irish tourists during the busy summer season. German, Spanish, and Dutch police officers perform a similar role there.
Two gardaí will be assigned to France for July and another two in August. They will patrol in uniform with French police officers and assist in handling complaints and investigating offences related to Irish people.
Another GLO is being assigned to Washington DC where they will act as an assistant to the existing GLO there.
This is the second expansion of the GLO network since 2020 when gardaí were deployed to Washington DC and Bogotá.
“These new positions will be important for enhancing the security of the state and strengthening An Garda Síochána’s relationships with police services overseas,” Ms McEntee.
