Gardaí get 'a lot of intelligence' after €5m reward offer on Kinahan crime gang

The US has offered a reward of €5m each for the arrest of Daniel Kinahan, his brother Christopher Jnr, and father Christy Snr.

Gardaí are in daily contact with US authorities in a bid to prosecute the leaders of the Kinahan crime cartel and have received “a lot of intelligence” since a reward offer was made for information.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said a lot of information has been gathered since the US offered a reward of €5m each for the arrest of Daniel Kinahan, his brother Christopher Jnr, and father Christy Snr.

He said this information was being used to “build a case” against the cartel bosses, who are currently based in the United Arab Emirates, and to determine which country provides the “best opportunity” for prosecuting them.

The reward — along with sweeping financial sanctions in the US — was disclosed at a US-Irish-British press conference in Dublin last month.

Mr Harris’ comments came on the same day a major report by EU drug and police agencies said the “notorious” Kinahan cartel was involved in “at least” 20 murders across four European countries.

The report, published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and Europol, said the cartel, along with other top European gangs, was driving increased levels of violence in a booming cocaine trade.

Mr Harris said:

• The US has a “tried and tested” method of offering rewards for major criminals based abroad and successfully bringing prosecutions against them;
• While Ireland is hampered by a lack of an extradition treaty with the UAE, other countries have “processes” that could be used to bring the Kinahan leaders from Dubai to face charges;
• A “second wave” of sanctions is being progressed, which will be targeted at other senior figures in the cartel and other businesses linked to it.

The sanctions imposed by US authorities also hit four senior associates of the leadership and three businesses linked to the cartel.

This was followed a week later by financial sanctions imposed by UAE authorities, piling the pressure on the crime group.

The Garda Commissioner’s comments raise the prospect that the gang’s leaders may be hauled before US criminal courts, or possibly other European ones, rather than Irish courts, though Mr Harris did not rule this out.

The Garda boss said the investigation against the cartel bosses was “a multinational operation” and that was now at the stage of getting them before the courts.

“That’s the focus — gathering the evidence to make sure that we got the best chance in respect of where the prosecution could be mounted,” he said. “We’re working very closely with US law enforcement in respect of that. 

That’s an ongoing and, in fact, daily engagement with both US law enforcement, federal law enforcement, but also Europol.

He said there has been a “huge amount of work” done since the press conference on April 12.

“A lot of intelligence and information has been gleaned and we’re now using that to build a case,” said Mr Harris. “But that’s not to say that we are reporting this to the DPP — it may be that some other jurisdiction will take the prosecution and we’d be seeking to support that.”

He said the US reward was part of a “tried and tested” process in the country.

“It’s been very successful in terms of major criminals,” he said.

“So that was, obviously, what we regarded as being a very credible tactic.”

Mr Harris said “evidence was evidence” and the issue was determining the best place in which to bring prosecutions.

Asked about the legal barrier posed by Ireland not having extradition arrangements with the UAE, he said: “Without an extradition treaty that is difficult for Ireland but it’s not the same for other nations in terms of their processes on how they might bring people before the courts.”