For years, he evaded capture by moving between countries, relocating from Europe to the Gulf while staying ahead of authorities investigating one of Europe’s most influential criminal networks. His escape came to an end this week in Dubai. Daniel Kinahan, often identified as the head of the Kinahan cartel, was arrested on Wednesday in a coordinated operation involving Irish and United Arab Emirates officials after a lengthy international search.

Dubai Police confirmed the arrest of “an Irish fugitive” connected to organized crime but did not disclose his identity. Irish media later reported that the person detained was Daniel Kinahan. Ireland’s national police force, the Garda Siochana, stated that a man in his 40s had been taken into custody under a warrant issued by Irish courts.

The force emphasized its commitment to pursuing individuals suspected of serious organized crime, regardless of where they are located. Kinahan, 48, is likely to face charges in Ireland linked to a long-standing feud between the Kinahan cartel and the Hutch gang, a conflict that has resulted in 18 deaths since 2015.

His ability to remain free for so long was largely due to his constant relocation. He left Ireland after an attempted assassination during a boxing weigh-in at Dublin’s Regency Hotel, where his associate David Byrne was killed. Following that incident, Kinahan moved first to Spain and later to the United Arab Emirates.

Authorities from several countries continued monitoring his activities, building cases tied to organized crime and global drug trafficking. In 2022, the United States Department of the Treasury offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Kinahan cartel leaders or the dismantling of its financial operations. The cartel is considered a major player in Europe’s drug trade and has been linked by investigators to a broader network described as a “super cartel,” believed to control a large portion of cocaine distribution across the continent.

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