Kinahan cartel linked to 20 murders across four countries by EU drugs agencies

A wanted poster of Christopher Kinahan Jnr, Daniel Kinahan, and Christopher Vincent Kinahan. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

The “notorious” Kinahan cartel is among Europe’s top cocaine trafficking networks driving worsening levels of violence across the continent, the EU’s police and drugs agencies have said.

The agencies said the cartel has been involved in 20 murders across four European countries and used “specialised cells” to kill rivals.

In a joint report, Europol and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (Emcdda), said gang violence has reached such levels in the Netherlands and Belgium that lawyers, government ministers, police and journalists have been targeted.

The report also said Irish crime networks are “very large wholesalers” of cocaine in Europe and store significant hauls of cocaine in “EU distribution hubs”.

Record seizures

The EU Drug Markets: Cocaine report paints a stark picture of a booming global and European cocaine trade. 

It says:

• Record amounts of cocaine were seized in 2020 — almost 215 tonnes — the fourth consecutive year of record seizures;
• Cocaine availability is probably at “an all-time high” and more affordable than in the past;
• Initial reports show 2020 seizures have been surpassed in 2021, with more than 240 tonnes seized last year in the four main EU countries for cocaine importation;
• The EU cocaine retail market is estimated to be worth at least €10.5bn, considered to be an underestimate;
• While Covid-19 restrictions resulted in a large decrease in cocaine seizures at retail level and a dramatic decrease in airline cocaine couriers, the overall cultivation, production and trafficking of cocaine did not drop and may even have risen;
• There is a “worrying” increase in the production of cocaine within Europe, with Latin American and European gangs in partnership;
• Mexican cartels — such as the Beltrán Leyva and Sinaloa — are increasingly involved in supplying cocaine into Europe;
• Agencies are concerned at the possible emergence of new “inexpensive” smokable cocaine products —  different to crack —  that is common in South America into Europe;

The report says the sharp growth in cocaine trafficking has been accompanied by a rise in violence, including homicides, shootings, bombings, arsons, kidnappings, torture and intimidation.

It mentions a number of violent gangs, including the Kinahan cartel.

The EU cocaine retail market is estimated to be worth at least €10.5 billion.  Picture: The Cover Story/CORBIS

Violent connections

“Violence and homicides in several EU Member States have also been connected to the notorious Kinahan clan from Dublin, Ireland," the report said. "Conflict between the Kinahans and rival groups has led to the murder of at least 20 people in Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain.

"The trial of some Kinahan clan members revealed that specialised crime cells were established in order to kill rivals.” 

 It said southern Spain has seen significant numbers of “deadly score-settling incidents” between criminal networks involved in the cocaine, and cannabis, trade, with 33 such murders in the Costa del Sol area between 2018 and 2021, including Irish nationals.

This excludes murdered Gary Hutch, a leading associate within the Kinahan cartel at the time, who was shot dead by the cartel in September 2015.

This resulted in the infamous retaliatory attack on the Regency Hotel in Dublin in February 2016, when the Hutch crime group targeted, but missed cartel leader, Daniel Kinahan, but did shoot dead his lieutenant David Byrne.

This, in turn, sparked the unprecedented Kinahan killing campaign in Ireland and Spain.

 Spain has seen significant numbers of 'deadly score-settling incidents' between criminal networks involved in the cocaine, and cannabis, trade. Picture: AP Photo

The report said an analysis of communications on the EncroChat encrypted phones — breached by French and Dutch police — showed how crime figures used the system to plan violence as a result of betrayal, disputes or debts.

It said in the Netherlands a lawyer was shot dead by drug gangs and that judges, journalists and police officers have been given police protection and that even the Dutch prime minister has had his security upgraded because of threats from gangs.

The report said that in July 2021 a well-known journalist, Peter R de Vries, was shot dead in Amsterdam, in a shooting linked to an ongoing gangland trial.

Another trial in the Netherlands exposed the existence of shipping containers in Rotterdam that were fitted out, including soundproofing, as a “detention, torture and possibly killing centre” for rival gang members.

It said that in the French port of Le Harve, the mutilated body of a dock worker was found in the car park of a nursery near the port.