Christy Kinahan built global crime empire from Dublin streets

Christy Kinahan: A Profile of an Infamous Drug Lord

CARTEL kingpin Christy Kinahan is one of Ireland’s most infamous names in international crime. The drug lord has become known as one of the most nefarious mobsters to emerge from Dublin. He reached the summit of the criminal underworld by exploiting self-help books.

International drug lord Christopher Kinahan Sr. is now 68 years old. He is believed to have been born in 1957 and lived in St Teresa’s Gardens, in south inner city Dublin. However, one seized passport claims he was born in west London on March 23, while another states his place of birth as Cabra in Dublin.

His mother ran a bed and breakfast, and his father was a dairy farm manager. He has three sisters: Denise, Maria, and Sally Anne. None of these family members have been involved in crime.

Early Criminal Activities

Christy started as a fraudster and a ‘fixer’ for gangs in Dublin. His first major foray into drugs came in 1986. He had come to the attention of police in the late 1970s for burglary, car theft, and forgery. In 1986, he was arrested over a £117,000 heroin seizure in Marino, Dublin.

In 2023, The Irish Sun’s podcast The Kinahans charted Christy’s career from low-level criminality to ruthless mob boss. Former Garda Assistant Commissioner Michael O’Sullivan recalls how Christy preyed on Dublin’s vulnerable drug users during the heroin epidemic in the 1980s.

Arrest and Imprisonment

Christy was arrested on September 14, 1986, surrounded by narcotics. O’Sullivan explained, “It was the most heroin I’d seen to that date and sitting nearby was Chris Kinahan.” Christy initially admitted to being responsible for the drugs haul but later blamed an Algerian accomplice.

In 1987, he received a six-year jail sentence. Irish Sun Crime Editor Stephen Breen believes this sentence was crucial to the cartel’s success. He said, “If he had been given a longer custodial sentence, it would have kept him off the streets a lot longer.”

Expansion of Criminal Empire

Prison did not stop Christy from expanding his organization. He educated himself on subjects to further his career. He also blamed an underling named Raymond Salinger for his detention. Salinger fled to London but returned to Dublin in 2002, where he was later killed.

After his release in 1992, Christy re-established himself in the drugs trade. He was charged with possession of stolen cheques in 1993 and fled to the UK. He later moved to the Netherlands and was convicted of handling stolen property.

International Connections

In 1997, Christy was arrested at his father’s funeral in Dublin and denied bail. He was jailed for four years over the stolen cheques. While in prison, he gained two degrees and became fluent in Dutch and Spanish. He also managed to smuggle a mobile phone into prison.

After his release in 2001, he moved to Belgium and began investing in local property. He laundered money through various businesses and caught the attention of authorities in Belgium.

Feud and Recent Developments

In 2015, Gary Hutch was shot dead in Spain, sparking the Hutch-Kinahan feud, which has claimed 18 lives. Christy and his sons faced only seven months in jail as prosecutors struggled to pin them down with evidence.

In April 2022, the US government announced a $5 million bounty for information leading to the arrests of Christy and his sons. US Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin stated the cartel had been accused of “heinous crimes all around the world.”

Despite the bounty, the Kinahans remain elusive, with Christy believed to be living in Dubai. His son Daniel has stepped into his role as the head of the cartel.