Dubai Renews Kinahan Cartel Leader's Visa Despite US Sanctions

Bellingcat and *The Sunday Times* have uncovered that Christopher Kinahan Jr, a key leader of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, had his residence permit renewed in Dubai less than two weeks ago.

Public immigration records from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) show that Kinahan Jr, who is wanted internationally and the subject of a $5 million US government reward, was issued a new visa despite his sanctioned status. The investigation also identified residence statuses for other cartel leaders believed to be in Dubai, along with previously unknown companies where they are purportedly employed.

Daniel Kinahan, Christopher Jr’s older brother, lost his final appeal last week to block extradition from Dubai to Ireland. His arrest in April marked the second major Kinahan figure detained in the UAE after years of operating there.

The Kinahan Organised Crime Group, a $1.5 billion transnational network, has been linked to drug trafficking, money laundering, and arms smuggling. US sanctions in 2022 targeted Christy Kinahan, 69, his sons Daniel (49) and Christopher Jr (45), cousin Ian Dixon (36), and associates Sean McGovern (40), Bernard Clancy (48), and Johnny Morrissey (66).

While the UAE claims to have banned the Kinahans from business and frozen €200 million in assets, the investigation suggests the group continues operating in the Emirates. Immigration records were accessed through publicly available UAE government portals by cross-referencing data from US sanctions notices, including ID numbers, birth dates, and nationalities.

The records reveal that Kinahan Jr has been traveling to Dubai since at least 2013, with multiple short-term visas issued before the cartel’s relocation to the UAE following a violent feud in 2016. Other leaders, including Dixon and McGovern, first entered the country in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Christy Kinahan, the cartel’s founder, entered the UAE as early as 2007 under his British passport and later used an Irish alias, "Christopher O’Brien," with 31 recorded visa entries between 2014 and 2017. Corporate documents link this alias to a now-defunct Hong Kong firm.

Experts question how UAE authorities could remain unaware of the cartel leaders’ presence. Roy McComb, former deputy director of the UK’s National Crime Agency, called it "preposterous" to suggest the UAE did not know their residency status. David Haigh, a British solicitor imprisoned in Dubai, said long-term residency under such scrutiny indicates possible corruption.

Employment-based residence visas in Dubai are valid for two years and require employer sponsorship. The companies listed on Kinahan Jr’s and Bernard Clancy’s permits—Al Matn Goods Wholesalers and Island Star Tourism—match existing Dubai firms, though their connection to the cartel remains unverified.

The findings raise further questions about the UAE’s enforcement of sanctions and the extent of the Kinahans’ operations in the country.