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Years On The Run, How Europe's Most Wanted Gang Leader Was Finally Tracked
After years on the move across Europe and the Gulf, Daniel Kinahan, alleged leader of the Kinahan cartel, was arrested in Dubai in a joint Ireland-UAE operation. The arrest follows a long international manhunt tied to a deadly feud and a broader crackdown on the cartel's activities.
Why It Matters
The arrest could disrupt a major European drug trafficking network, ending a lengthy international pursuit and potentially affecting ongoing criminal investigations and violence linked to the Kinahan-Hutch feud.
Timeline
3 Events
Kinahan arrested in Dubai in a joint Ireland-UAE operation
April 15, 2026
Dubai Police arrested an Irish fugitive linked to organised crime during a joint operation with Irish authorities. Irish media later identified the individual as Daniel Kinahan. Ireland's Garda Siochana confirmed a man in his 40s detained under an Irish court warrant. Kinahan is expected to face charges in Ireland connected to the ongoing Kinahan-Hutch feud, which has resulted in 18 killings since 2015.
US Treasury reward linked to Kinahan cartel
2022
The United States Department of the Treasury announced a reward of $5 million for information leading to the arrest of Kinahan cartel leaders or the dismantling of its financial network.
Feud between Kinahan cartel and Hutch gang has caused killings since 2015
2015
Investigations link the Kinahan cartel to a long-running feud with the Hutch gang, a conflict that has led to 18 killings since 2015.