Irish crime gang boss arrested in Dubai

DUBLIN: Dubai police have arrested alleged Irish crime gang boss Daniel Kinahan on charges of organised criminal activity, a law-enforcement source said on Saturday.

Dubai police said in a statement on Friday that they had “arrested an Irish fugitive for his alleged role in an organised criminal group involved in international crimes in his home country,” but did not name Kinahan.

A law enforcement source confirmed the man was Daniel Kinahan.

The arrest happened on Wednesday and followed the receipt of a judicial file from Irish authorities, the Dubai police said.

Kinahan was named as one of three leaders of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group by the United States in 2022 when it offered a $5 million reward for their arrest.

The US Treasury likened the Kinahan drug trafficking gang to some of the world’s most notorious crime networks and said the gang frequently uses Dubai as a hub for illicit activities.

A lawyer for Daniel Kinahan told the BBC in 2021 that he has no criminal record or convictions and allegations about being a crime boss are false.

This news agency was unable to contact representatives for Kinahan.

The Irish Times reported the charges against Kinahan were related to a gangland feud in Ireland.