Latest news with #Kinahan
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kinahan cartel boss Liam Byrne's son parties with Conor McGregor and Katie Price
Kinahan cartel boss Liam Byrne's son has been pictured partying with Conor McGregor and Katie Price in Ibiza. A photo, posted on social media by Conor McGregor, shows Lee Byrne with close pal and Byrne Organised Crime Group associate Nathan 'Biggie' Little posing next to the troubled UFC fighter. Renowned model Katie Price is also seen in the snap, sitting on the lap of a beaming McGregor. Republic of Ireland and Eredivisie footballer Troy Parrot is also pictured. It comes as McGregor is awaiting his appeal at the start of next month after a jury found him liable for the assault of Nikita Hand in the Beacon Hotel in South Dublin. Lee Byrne, who has no involvement in crime, is the son of criminal Liam Byrne - who was most recently released from prison in the UK after serving a relatively short time behind bars for his role in sourcing firearms for brother-in-law and fellow mob boss Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh. Mobster Liam is lying low in the UK while being tagged by prison authorities - after being granted early release due to ongoing overcrowding concerns. His son Lee, however, is regularly seen partying across the globe with pal 'Biggie' Little - who Dublin's High Court heard was a member of the 'Byrne Organised Crime Group', led by Lee's father. In the High Court, the Criminal Assets Bureau identified the 24-year-old Dubliner as being a low-level member of the Byrne Organised Crime Group. Little, who is from the Drimnagh area of the city, is a close friend of Liam Byrne's son Lee, who is the boyfriend of Steven Gerrard's daughter, Lilly-Ella. Liam Byrne, 44, himself a powerful figure in the Kinahan cartel, was jailed for his role in trying to acquire firearms from anywhere he could find them after he was caught doing so in secret encrypted conversations that were hacked in 2021. The plot was designed so that investigators would find a cache of 11 powerful weapons hidden in a field in Newry, Co Down in May 2021 following a 'tip off' from Kavanagh, who met officers and told them about it from behind bars while awaiting sentence for importing drugs. Liam Byrne's brother David was infamously shot dead in the Regency Hotel shooting on February 5, 2016. Byrne's death significantly escalated the Kinahan Hutch feud - and saw the cartel go on to murder 16 more men. Byrne's boss Daniel Kinahan was the primary target of the Hutch gang that day - and is still living it up in Dubai despite his cartel crumbling all around him. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week Liam Byrne was jailed - alongside the once-powerful mobster 'Bomber' - who led the Kinahan cartel's day-to-day operations in the UK. Kavanagh is serving a 21-year prison sentence for conspiracy to import some €36 million worth of drugs into the UK. In 2019, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) seized much of Liam Byrne's assets following a high-profile case. The CAB, in its High Court proceedings against the Byrne Organised Crime Group (BOCG), named Liam as its leader, and also named several individuals as the beneficiaries of the group. The High Court ruled that assets worth €2.7 million - cars, jewellery, cash and the Raleigh Square home seized by the CAB - were the proceeds of crime. As part of their investigations, CAB investigators claimed Byrne was at the 'very top tier' of organised crime in Ireland. In submissions to the High Court, the CAB outlined his links to Christy 'Dapper Don' Kinahan's cartel. It claimed: 'The target of this investigation is the Liam Byrne Organised Crime Group. This group is aligned to the Kinahan Organised Crime Group (KOCG) and is involved in the importation for sale and supply of controlled drugs into this jurisdiction. 'The investigation has uncovered a system of money laundering used by this group to hide the beneficial ownership of the various assets in their possession. The main target of this investigation, Liam Byrne, is a close and trusted associate and lieutenant of Daniel Kinahan. "The KOCG is an international gang involved in the importation and controlled distribution of drugs into this jurisdiction, the UK and mainland Europe. It has bases in Spain, the UK, Netherlands and Dubai. 'Liam Byrne and Sean McGovern are at the very top tier of this group and are regularly spotted in the company of Daniel and [his brother] Christopher Kinahan.'
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Sean McGovern tells court ‘I'm happy with that' after lawyers withdraw from murder charge case amid new legal team plan
LAWYERS acting for Sean McGovern have withdrawn from his case as the Kinahan cartel man told a court: "I'm happy with that." McGovern was before the Special Criminal Advertisement 3 McGovern appeared in court via video link today Credit: Crispin Rodwell - The Sun Dublin 3 McGovern was extradited to Ireland, landing at Baldonnell above at the end of May Credit: GARY ASHE commissioned by The Sun Dublin An application was granted which will see a new legal team challenge his "procurement" to Ireland. The 39-year-old accused was extradited from The court heard from barrister Olan Callanan BL who said both he and solicitor Michael Staines were seeking to withdraw from the case. He told the court that McGovern will be "otherwise represented", adding it would not "cause concern" for the accused who was fully aware of the matter. Advertisement READ MORE ON IRISH NEWS Mr Callanan added that it arose because McGovern "is in custody", but did not explain any further. McGovern was asked if he understood to which he put his thumbs up. However the three sitting judges wanted his microphone to be turned on and to hear from him. McGovern stood up and walked towards the monitor and appeared to turn on the microphone. Advertisement Most read in Irish News He politely said: "Can you hear me now? No problem." The CASE ADJOURNED UNTIL JULY Ms Justice Karen O'Connor granted the application, as Keith Spencer BL said Wayne Kenny solicitors were coming on record. Mr Spencer told the court that the new legal team planned to bring an application. Advertisement He added: "Whether it be in this forum or another, in respect of the procurement of Mr McGovern to this jurisdiction." The barrister explained they will give advance notice to the prosecution of any such application being made. Mr Spencer applied for extra senior and junior counsel, explaining it was an "extensive case" involving a "number of separate matters." Ms Justice O'Connor replied saying it "may be premature", adding that the legal aid position was not clear. Advertisement The case was adjourned to a date in July for mention. As Ms Justice O'Connor thanked McGovern over the video link, he replied: "Thank you." McGovern is charged with the murder of Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan at St Ronan's Drive in Clondalkin, Dublin, on December 22, 2016. MCGOVERN CHARGES He was shot outside his home after he returned home from Christmas shopping. Advertisement McGovern also faces a charge that between October 20 and December 22, 2016 he directed the activities of a criminal organisation to carry out Mr Kirwan's murder. And he is accused of facilitating a criminal organisation to murder the 62-year-old grandfather. McGovern is further charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation to monitor James 'Mago' Gately's activities. And he is accused of facilitating a criminal organisation in the conspiracy to murder Gately. Both offences allegedly occurred between October 17, 2015 and April 6, 2017. Advertisement 3 McGovern has been charged with the murder of Noel Kirwan in 2016 Credit: Collect
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Welch's hopes for fruitful future with new Waltham headquarters
In brightly lit rooms with multicolored fruit decals lining the walls, the juice giant's engineers are already at work on new products and packaging. The pace of product development has increased since the company began to transition its workers from Concord to Waltham three weeks ago, said Christine Kinahan, Welch's chief people officer. Kinahan said she hopes employees and visitors can feel the 'spirit of innovation' in the new labs, where the building's architects included large windows so people can see the work in motion. Welch's last June Advertisement A scientist worked inside the R&D Lab at the official opening of Welch's new corporate headquarters. Lane Turner/Globe Staff Welch's moved its headquarters to Concord more than 40 years ago. After launching the search for a new home, it considered 37 properties in Greater Boston before selecting the Waltham location and signing a 15-plus year lease, said Kinahan. Advertisement Welch's leaders say they hope the move to a more central and visible location will make the company's Massachusetts roots more widely known. 'Having the proximity and the visibility of the brand on 128 is tremendously important to us,' said Kinahan. 'Being buried in Concord on Route 2, people didn't know that we were located in Massachusetts. Everybody knows the brand, but nobody knows that we're located here, so we need to connect the two.' Welch's is a cooperative owned by more than 700 family farmers across the United States, according to the A tour group tastes new products at the official opening of Welch's new corporate headquarters. Lane Turner/Globe Staff Welch's is hiring to expand its workforce at the headquarters. Kinahan said she hopes the new location's proximity to several colleges and universities will bolster the company's recruiting. 'We want to be an employer of choice in Massachusetts,' said Kinahan. The office has an open layout to encourage collaboration when employees — most of whom work hybrid schedules — are in the office. Over the past year, said Kinahan, company leaders asked employees for feedback on the design, seeking opinions on everything from the mix of communal and private working spaces to the office's lighting and color scheme. Before cutting the ribbon to the new headquarters, Waltham Mayor Jeanette McCarthy reminisced about her own childhood as she held up a bottle of Welch's Grape Juice. 'As a kid of the '50s and '60s,' she said, 'we loved it.' Maren Halpin can be reached at
Sunday World
3 days ago
- Business
- Sunday World
Redacted FOI documents show how FBI opened investigations into Kinahan crime gang in 2018
While much of the information is withheld, it shows that the cartel had been in the crosshairs of the agency for at least seven years A crime blogger has published documents showing how the FBI opened investigations into the Kinahan crime gang as far back as 2018. The well-known 'Plastic Paddy' account published screenshots of the heavily-redacted files online, three years after a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted. While much of the information is withheld, it shows that the crime gang had been in the crosshairs of the agency for at least seven years. In the files related to their investigations into the 'Kinahan Criminal Enterprise' there are references to 'drug trafficking' and 'money laundering', as well as 'potential targets' of the gang. The documents also include a profile of 'Haizum Trading' which we revealed last year to be an umbrella company for three of five companies shut down in the wake of sanctions imposed on the Kinahan cartel by US authorities in April 2022. We reported how a network of front companies had been set up by exiled mob boss Daniel Kinahan and his brother Christopher Jnr to launder their drug money in the United Arab Emirates. News in 90 Seconds - June 17 Just two years after the US imposed sanctions on the cartel, a total of five of the Kinahans' Emirates-based companies had their licences cancelled. Three of the five companies shut down since the sanctions were imposed on April 12, 2022, do not appear on the US sanctions list but can be directly tied to the Kinahans through papers filed with the UAE's Economic Ministry. These three companies operated under the umbrella title 'Haizum Trading'. A profile of Haizum General Trading that appears in the FBI documents describes itself as a 'new trading company based in Dubai United Arab Emirates' 'We're a young company but between our staff we have amassed more than 100 years of trading experience,' it states. The profile reveals how they specialise in commodity trading, 'especially food commodities and we only trade physical commodities' with a 'client base in the Middle East, South Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.' A trove of documents obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists in 2022 revealed how the ownership of the companies was structured to comply with UAE law which then dictated that a 50 per cent share of companies set up in the UAE must be owned by an Emirati. The documents show how Daniel and Christopher Kinahan Jnr planned to open an import-and-export food business, with a projected profit of $6.8 million, operating out of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC). One of the redacted files A due diligence report showed how authorities in Dubai branded Daniel and Christopher Kinahan Jnr's business plan as 'low risk' adding that it was 'OK to proceed'. The DMCC area of Dubai is a free trade zone that was established in 2002. Another branch of their business, in a separate jurisdiction of the UAE, would trade clothing and textiles. Their business plan described how 'Haizum General Trading Co LLC' would import food from Brazil, Thailand, India, China and East Africa to Persian Gulf countries and beyond. 'We also hope to eventually expand into the trading of edible oil, pasta, and even poultry, if we happen to line up potential leads, prospective clients, and profitable deals for these products,' their business plan read. 'We plan to incorporate the company with a physical office from the get go, as we expect to employ a workforce of seven employees,' it added. They planned to make $6.8 million in the first year, and said that the shareholders had several other 'supporting' businesses in the UAE, and were 'keen on expanding the size and scale of their operations in the coming year.' According to records, the reason they chose to set up operations in the DMCC was to have an 'international sales office, promote the Haizum business and trade in various agro-commodities all over the world.' It also showed that Daniel was to own 30pc of their LLC company, with 19pc owned by Christopher Jnr and the rest by a UAE national, Hadif Al Ktebi. A copy of the contract, obtained by ICIJ, said that the company had a starting capital of approximately $100,000. Haizum International General Trading LLC was registered by the Kinahans with the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai on July 10, 2018, the same year that the FBI opened an investigation into the crime gang. Just one year before, in May 2017, Daniel Kinahan's wedding at the seven-star Burj al Arab in Dubai became a focus point for investigators. Attended by friends and associates of Kinahan, as well as senior underworld figures, the party took place as Dutch police began to investigate claims by a witness called Nabil B who linked underworld mobsters Ridouan Taghi, Ricardo Riquelme Vega, aka El Rico, caged assassin Noufal Fassih and Italian Camorra boss Raffaele Imperiale - who all attended the festivities. On the run Taghi had attended the wedding of Kinahan and it was later heard that when lawyers travelled to Dubai to meet him, undercover police watched as Daniel Kinahan arrived at the hotel reception instead. The manhunt for Taghi only began in early 2018 - six months after the wedding and after officers had started to get a grasp of how Taghi, Fassih and El Rico had joined together as a national force in the Netherlands and as a global force with Kinahan and Imperiale, along with a Bosnian outfit known as the Tito and Dino cartel. Infamous Mocro mafia boss and Kinahan Cartel associate Taghi is currently locked up in a high security prison from where he is appealing his convictions for murder. Dutch criminal Fassih, who was arrested in a Kinahan safehouse on Baggot Street in 2016, was extradited to Holland where he was jailed for various offences including ordering gang hits and political assassinations. Since he was extradited from his desert bolthole in Dubai to his native Italy in March 2022 Imperiale has been spilling the beans on his gangster pals as a super grass, telling investigators how one of them 'gave me 300 kilos of cocaine'. Meanwhile, Daniel Kinahan's right-hand man, Sean McGovern, was returned to Ireland last month, when he was charged with the murder of Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan at the height of the Hutch/Kinahan feud in 2016. The father of two, who was extradited from Dubai in May, was also charged with directing a criminal organisation involved in the conspiracy to murder Hutch associate James 'Mago' Gately.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kinahan cartel in new battle to keep laundered drug money
The Kinahan cartel are in a new battle to keep their laundered drug money. The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates in Dubai where Christy Kinahan Snr and his sons Christy Jnr and Daniel are all living has started a new war against money laundering. Six foreign exchange houses were fined millions in recent weeks for breaching the rules. But now the crackdown has spread across several sectors previously untouched by the regulator – property, gold and jewellery trading plus auditing and corporate service providers. The UAE Central Bank confirmed it is now working hand in hand with the Dubai police to increase and tighten up surveillance on suspicious transactions across all businesses. They have created new data sharing channels so they can identify the true individuals behind corporate structures and financial dealings. The Dubai regulator and government said there is now zero tolerance for institutions who fail to protect their financial system from abuse. Two foreign banks were also fined along with individual executives caught breaking the rules. A senior Garda source said: 'This move will put serious financial pressure on the Kinahans and all their business interests in Dubai. 'They own a portfolio of properties in the Gulf with many held in the names of other people plus a number of so called legitimate businesses. The authorities in Dubai are cleaning up their act and no longer want to be a heaven for various international criminals.' The UAE has also come under pressure from various other countries including both the EU and the United States to meet global financial and business compliance standards. The latest crackdown comes after the extradition from Dubai back to Ireland over a week ago of top Kinahan gang member Sean McGovern – a right hand man of the family. He is currently being detained at the maximum security Portlaoise Prison on murder charges. Last Monday, the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris warned the notorious crime family that they were coming from them. Both he and the Government are increasingly confident they can get the three Kinahans back home to stand trial for a variety of serious charges. The United States is also after them and has five million dollars each for their capture. Mr Harris was speaking on Monday – 12 days after Daniel Kinahan's key confidant Sean McGovern was sent back from Dubai to face serious charges in his native Dublin, including murder. He added: 'They should be worried. Ourselves and other law enforcement are fixed on them, and we are fixed on bringing them all to justice.' Speaking at Garda HQ in Dublin's Phoenix Park, Mr Harris warned the leaders – who like McGovern were hit with sanctions by United States authorities in April 2022 – were the subject of an unprecedented international law enforcement operation. He said: 'They should have been worried now for a number of years because there's huge effort, huge investigative effort, and international effort, has gone into the investigation of the overall Kinahan organised crime gang. 'A lot of things which they said couldn't be done, have been done. So following on from the sanctions, the work that we've undertaken with the UAE, and the work that specifically we've undertaken with the police in Dubai has been very fruitful. 'They have been very active partners with us in terms of investigation, providing us information, and obviously, UAE authorities have worked to support the extradition. And you see an individual then extradited back to Ireland to face justice here, and that's the correct thing to do.' The sanctions also saw each of the Kinahan trio have a bounty of $5million placed on their heads. And Mr Harris told other members of the gang that they should consider turning their bosses in and taking the reward money. He added: 'I would also point out the other senior lieutenants within the Kinahan Organised Crime group who are now facing justice or are imprisoned, and the sanctions and the rewards still stand. 'And I would point to there's $15million there of reward money through the federal law enforcement authorities of the US, so that is still in play as well. 'I just want to remind others in the Kinahan Organised Grime Gang of the perilous position that they're now in. Ourselves and other law enforcement are fixed on them, and we are fixed on bringing them all to justice. 'So all of them should be worried, and they should be thinking about the choices, serious life choices that are now ahead of them, in respect of what to do over the coming months. Our work with the Dubai police obviously carries on.' The Gardaí and international police forces and intelligence agencies are watching the cartel leaders in case they try to make a run from Dubai. The Kinahans have been living the high life in the Gulf since they fled Marbella in Spain in 2017 and are running their worldwide drugs operation from there. The Garda source added: 'If they run out of money, they will be easier to catch.'
