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Will the Dublin feud threaten Christy Kinahan's criminal empire? Will the Dublin feud threaten Christy Kinahan's criminal empire?
(7 months later)
Ireland’s leading crime boss flies by helicopter across Europe, speaks four languages, has two university degrees and runs a drug-smuggling empire worth hundreds of millions of euros.Ireland’s leading crime boss flies by helicopter across Europe, speaks four languages, has two university degrees and runs a drug-smuggling empire worth hundreds of millions of euros.
Christy Kinahan is also thought to be at the centre of the current gangland feud that has brought death and fear to Dublin’s streets.Christy Kinahan is also thought to be at the centre of the current gangland feud that has brought death and fear to Dublin’s streets.
Born in St Theresa’s Gardens, a dilapidated estate in inner city south Dublin, Kinahan ascended the ranks of Europe’s criminal “champions league” to head a crime operation which the Garda Síochána and Interpol believe has laundered nearly €1bn (£780m) from Brazil to Belgium over the last decade and a half.Born in St Theresa’s Gardens, a dilapidated estate in inner city south Dublin, Kinahan ascended the ranks of Europe’s criminal “champions league” to head a crime operation which the Garda Síochána and Interpol believe has laundered nearly €1bn (£780m) from Brazil to Belgium over the last decade and a half.
Compared with the earlier generation of Irish gangsters who came to prominence in the 1970s, Kinahan represents a new kind of crime lord: sophisticated, internationalist, ruthless and more often than not, under the radar.Compared with the earlier generation of Irish gangsters who came to prominence in the 1970s, Kinahan represents a new kind of crime lord: sophisticated, internationalist, ruthless and more often than not, under the radar.
Related: Murders in Spain, and a Dublin attack with AK-47s: the deadly 20-year war of Ireland’s drug cartels
Until the latest blood-letting broke out, Kinahan had managed to stay out of the feuding that has claimed about 200 lives over the last 16 years in Ireland’s underworld. The 59-year-old moved his base to the Spanish Costa del Sol and built links with South American drug-trafficking gangs, expanding his smuggling operations beyond Ireland into Britain and mainland Europe.Until the latest blood-letting broke out, Kinahan had managed to stay out of the feuding that has claimed about 200 lives over the last 16 years in Ireland’s underworld. The 59-year-old moved his base to the Spanish Costa del Sol and built links with South American drug-trafficking gangs, expanding his smuggling operations beyond Ireland into Britain and mainland Europe.
According to garda sources, Kinahan has even travelled to China in the last 18 months to inspect illegal laboratories manufacturing new synthetic drugs.According to garda sources, Kinahan has even travelled to China in the last 18 months to inspect illegal laboratories manufacturing new synthetic drugs.
Kinahan surrounds himself not only with close family members embroiled in crime, but with veteran gangsters whose criminal careers stretch back into the 1980s.Kinahan surrounds himself not only with close family members embroiled in crime, but with veteran gangsters whose criminal careers stretch back into the 1980s.
Given his reputation and reach, the attack on his “soldiers” during a boxing weigh-in at a north Dublin hotel last Friday appears to have been an act of astonishing audacity by his main rival, Gerry “The Monk” Hutch. The murder of David Byrne and the way the gang carried out their assault signalled that this was all-out war with the Kinahan gang.Given his reputation and reach, the attack on his “soldiers” during a boxing weigh-in at a north Dublin hotel last Friday appears to have been an act of astonishing audacity by his main rival, Gerry “The Monk” Hutch. The murder of David Byrne and the way the gang carried out their assault signalled that this was all-out war with the Kinahan gang.
Details of the attack – AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifles, Police Swat-style uniforms and the presence of a gunman dressed as a woman – also indicate the level of planning involved in the attempt to wipe out Kinahan’s “top boys”.Details of the attack – AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifles, Police Swat-style uniforms and the presence of a gunman dressed as a woman – also indicate the level of planning involved in the attempt to wipe out Kinahan’s “top boys”.
Among those targeted in Friday’s attack was Kinahan’s son, Daniel, who was present at the weigh-in of Jamie Kavanagh, the Irish contender for the WBO European lightweight boxing crown – a fight that was aborted following the Regency hotel shootings. Daniel Kinahan escaped by jumping out a window while a close associate locked himself in a hotel bedroom.Among those targeted in Friday’s attack was Kinahan’s son, Daniel, who was present at the weigh-in of Jamie Kavanagh, the Irish contender for the WBO European lightweight boxing crown – a fight that was aborted following the Regency hotel shootings. Daniel Kinahan escaped by jumping out a window while a close associate locked himself in a hotel bedroom.
The principal motive for the assault was believed to be revenge for the fatal shooting of Hutch’s nephew Gary in September. Senior Irish detectives also believe Friday’s shooting was part of a wider move against Kinahan’s Spanish-based empire, with Hutch and Scottish–born criminals colluding to try to muscle in on the lucrative drug-smuggling operation.The principal motive for the assault was believed to be revenge for the fatal shooting of Hutch’s nephew Gary in September. Senior Irish detectives also believe Friday’s shooting was part of a wider move against Kinahan’s Spanish-based empire, with Hutch and Scottish–born criminals colluding to try to muscle in on the lucrative drug-smuggling operation.
While Kinahan remains holed up in his luxury multimillion-euro Andalusian villa, his allies reportedly held a council of war at a Dublin pub on Sunday night to decide on a response to the hotel attack. Less than 24 hours later Hutch’s brother, Eddie Sr, a relatively unimportant member of the crime family, was shot dead.While Kinahan remains holed up in his luxury multimillion-euro Andalusian villa, his allies reportedly held a council of war at a Dublin pub on Sunday night to decide on a response to the hotel attack. Less than 24 hours later Hutch’s brother, Eddie Sr, a relatively unimportant member of the crime family, was shot dead.
With mediation talks between the two sides only a remote possibility, at least at this stage, it is feared Hutch and his gang will seek vengeance for the latest death.With mediation talks between the two sides only a remote possibility, at least at this stage, it is feared Hutch and his gang will seek vengeance for the latest death.
The deadly feuding that has characterised Dublin’s underworld, the shooting wars Kinahan has avoided so carefully in the past, now appear to threaten his old power base back in Ireland and pose an existential challenge to his domination of a global drug-dealing network.The deadly feuding that has characterised Dublin’s underworld, the shooting wars Kinahan has avoided so carefully in the past, now appear to threaten his old power base back in Ireland and pose an existential challenge to his domination of a global drug-dealing network.