Kinahan was ‘squeezed out’ of Dubai
Gangster rebrands as ‘international boxing power broker’ for Bahrain sports company
GARDAI are sharing intelligence with several international police forces about Daniel Kinahan’s links to organised crime, as the suspected drug trafficker attempts to advance his career as global boxing promoter.
The Dublin gangster, who was named in Irish courts as the day-to-day “controller” of an international drug trafficking organisation, was recently announced as a “special adviser” to a boxing company founded by a member of the Bahrain royal family.
However, garda sources say that as Kinahan attempts to reinvent himself, he is coming under growing scrutiny from police agencies in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain and the United States.
Gardai believe his rebranding exercise is ahead of a heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua he is trying to bring to the Middle East. They suspect he needs the respectability to attract sponsors and broadcasters.
A partnership deal between MTK Global, a boxing management company originally founded by Kinahan, and the Bahrain company he now advises was announced last week. MTK Global said the deal would “bring the biggest fights to the Middle East along with international broadcasters such as ESPN in the US and UK broadcasters such as BT Sports and Sky Sports”.
Daniel Kinahan has received a string of endorsements in recent weeks from prominent boxing figures, including the American lawyer and boxing promoter Bob Arum. In a recent interview, he said Kinahan was a “man of his word” who had “great connections”. “Everybody trusts Kinahan. He is one of my favourite guys,” Arum said.
Soon after that endorsement came the surprise announcement that he had been appointed special adviser to a sports company owned by a member of the Bahraini royal family.
Also in the past week, a short film posted on a UK YouTube video channel professionally shot with actors blamed the Regency Hotel attack on a political and Garda conspiracy. The film was removed from the internet after a complaint from Independent News & Media.
Daniel is the son of Christy Kinahan, the Dubliner who built an organised crime and drug-trafficking cartel from the Costa Del Sol. Daniel was the intended target of the Regency Hotel shoot-out four years ago that claimed the life of a key cartel lieutenant, David Byrne, and triggered a spate of revenge murders.
The Kinahans moved to Dubai after coming under intense police scrutiny. Daniel Kinahan has been developing his boxing promoter credentials in the Middle East.
“He was squeezed out of Dubai because of the greater cooperation between gardai and the law enforcement agencies there,” said one source.
He has been hired by KHK Sports, a company controlled by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa and promotes boxing and MMA, as well as having interests in football.
In a press release, the Bahrain company described Kinahan as an “international boxing power broker” when announcing his appointment as special adviser. For his part, Kinahan said it was “an honour to work with His Highness”.
Then last week, in another surprising move, Kinahan’s old company, MTK Global (formerly MGM) announced its new partnership with KHK Sports. MTK subsequently said all ties with Kinahan were cut from February 2017, when there was a management buy-in.
The Criminal Assets Bureau has named Daniel Kinahan as one of two leaders of the cartel. Last week, a criminal trial heard that the Kinahan organised crime group was involved in murderous feuds, as well as organised drugs and firearms trafficking.