An international fugitive, Daniel Kinahan, the alleged leader of the Kinahan cartel, was arrested in Dubai this week. The 48-year-old was taken into custody on Wednesday in a covert operation involving Irish and United Arab Emirates authorities.
He is expected to face charges in Ireland related to a gangland feud between the Kinahan cartel and the Hutch gang, which has resulted in 18 deaths since 2015. Dubai police confirmed the arrest of an "Irish fugitive for his alleged role in an organised criminal group involved in international crimes."
An Garda Síochána, Ireland's national police force, stated that the arrest demonstrates "the need for international law enforcement co-operation in tackling transnational organized crime." Kinahan had previously fled Ireland for Spain, and then to the UAE, after a suspected assassination attempt. The U.S. Treasury Department had offered a $5 million reward in 2022 for information leading to the arrest of the cartel's leaders.
The Kinahan cartel is a significant force in the European drug trade, reportedly controlling a third of Europe's cocaine trade as part of a "super cartel." Kinahan is also known for his affiliation with the boxing world as the founder of MTK Global.