The crime family moved to the UAE for safety; sanctions mean they are stuck there

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Worldwide financial sanctions targeting the Kinahan crime cartel will deal a "heavy blow" to their activities, Ireland's police chief has said.

Sanctions: Irish, American and British law enforcement launched coordinated action against the Kinahan organised crime group in 2022. File photograph: Collins
Worldwide financial sanctions targeting the Kinahan crime cartel will deal a "heavy blow" to their activities, Ireland's police chief has said. Sanctions: Irish, American and British law enforcement launched coordinated action against the Kinahan organised crime group in 2022. File photograph: Collins

News that Kinahan cartel founder Christy Kinahan snr and his sons, Daniel and Christopher jnr, have not left the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for four years offers real insight into how small their world has become.

Garda sources say that finding the Kinahans has never been the problem for the teams of detectives investigating them.

What has proved difficult is building a case against the men who are the reported leaders of one of the biggest drugs cartels in the world.

According to crime and security editor Conor Lally they are literally too scared to leave the UAE for fear of losing control of their lives and their liberty.

Why? And why have they not been brought to justice given that a Garda file on the Kinahan leadership was submitted to the DPP in 2023.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair.

Bernice Harrison

Bernice Harrison

Bernice Harrison is an Irish Times journalist and cohost of In the News podcast

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