Kinahans feel the squeeze as sanctions start to bite

For the leaders of the Kinahan crime cartel, the world has got much smaller in recent weeks. First there was the surprise move by US authorities to impose swift and severe sanctions on members of the gang, instantly cutting off their ability to funnel money from the drug trade into legitimate business enterprises.

Cartel founder Christy Kinahan snr, his sons, Daniel and Christopher jnr, and four of their associates can no longer hold any assets or have business dealings in the US, and nobody based in the US can deal with them. Rewards of up to $5 million, or about €4.8 million, have also been offered by the Americans for information that would lead to the conviction of any of the three Kinahans or for significant information that could degrade the cartel.

These moves also made any travel from their base in Dubai perilous in the extreme. But that was only the start. Almost immediately after the US moved against the gang, the United Arab Emirates followed suit. The authorities there shut off the gang’s access to funds and imposed measures to stop them investing in or making money from operations in Dubai.

That development was significant, as the Kinahans and many of their associates live in Dubai and have businesses there. But those businesses are regarded as fronts established by the Kinahans to present themselves as legitimate businessmen rather than holding their core wealth. One immediate impact saw a global boxing operation with close links to the Kinahans forced to close as the spotlight shined ever brighter on the gang.

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But is that it for the Kinahans? Have the sanctions deprived them of their money and their power, or will the gang remain a violent force in the drug trade in Ireland and farther afield, able to sidestep the authorities and continue their deadly business? Conor Lally talks to In the News about the impact the sanctions have been having and what the future might hold for the gang.