Kinahans have plans to flee UAE to Russia after extradition treaty signed

Christy Kinahan and Daniel Kinahan.

The leaders of the Kinahan cartel “will know” when it’s time to flee the United Arab Emirates and already have detailed plans in place to head to Russia, the Irish Examiner understands.

Security sources say Daniel Kinahan and his father, Christy, are well connected in the Middle Eastern state and will find out when they need to leave.

The Kinahan family, in particular Daniel, are known to be protected by the Russian mafia and have built up contacts within Russia.

Sources believe that the cartel bosses have well established plans for relocation to Russia.

This comes as Justice Minister Helen McEntee is due to travel to Abu Dhabi next week to sign an extradition treaty with the UAE.

Ms McEntee made the announcement that she and Department of Justice officials were go to the UAE capital after the Government approved the treaty last Friday.

The previous week, Daniel Kinahan’s right-hand man, Sean McGovern, was arrested by Dubai police following an official request by the Department of Justice, backed up by a ‘Red Notice’ from Interpol, the international police organisation.

McGovern is being held in custody pending an appearance before Dubai courts, which will determine whether or not to send him back to Ireland.

The extradition treaty comes after his arrest and is expected to be only applicable for future arrests, though this is not confirmed.

The Department of Justice has been working on developing an extradition treaty with the UAE for almost a year, running parallel with the establishment and development of close working relationships between Gardaí and UAE police, led on the Irish side, by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

Sources in Ireland are said to be “very happy” with the level of detail and legal thoroughness in the Irish request for McGovern’s extradition and in the final treaty.

The treaty will make future extradition requests “much easier and more streamlined”, security sources said, adding that it also demonstrates clearly to Irish criminal fugitives in the UAE that it is “no longer a safe haven”.

They point out that judicial processes still have to be gone through to secure an extradition, but said the agreement creates a “more favourable environment”.

The Garda liaison officer in Dubai, a new office, established last July, is keeping an eye on court developments, while the Garda Organised and Serious Crime section is keeping in regular contact with UAE police regarding developments with McGovern.

Although the extradition treaty should make legal processes for any extradition of Daniel, his brother Christopher, and their father Christy, the founder of the cartel, more efficient, security sources point out that there is still a long way to go to ensuring they will actually be arrested.

The cartel leadership is believed to have developed deep connections at various levels of UAE bureaucracy, political circles and the business community, built up through massive money laundering and drug financing over a long period.

“If they flee they will know when the time is to flee and that’s not arrived yet,” one source said. “They are very well connected.” Whether or not they will succeed is less clear, but sources said “their plan is Russia”.

The Russian mafia are understood to be providing protection for Daniel Kinahan and others in the UAE for many years.