Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll spearheaded the Garda investigation into Daniel Kinahan for years — but the hero officer died in September 2024, months before the Dublin-born alleged crime figure was finally arrested in Dubai
Daniel Kinahan(Image: Supplied)
The arrest of Daniel Kinahan came almost exactly four years after sanctions were first imposed against the cartel.
Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll, who spearheaded Garda investigations into Daniel Kinahan, his brother Christy Jr and father Christy Sr, stood tall as US authorities declared sanctions against them at a landmark press conference in Dublin on April 12, 2022.
Now, just over four years later, the celebrated Garda officer who fought tirelessly for Kinahan’s arrest is tragically not alive to witness the moment the crime boss is finally detained in Dubai. The widely respected senior Garda, who led the charge against Kinahan, died in September 2024.
Yet before his passing, the Gardai had already chalked up a remarkable string of victories against the Kinahan cartel, putting numerous key lieutenants and street-level enforcers behind bars.
Innocent men were shot dead in broad daylight, while anyone deemed willing was recruited to murder those even remotely connected to the Hutch name, reports Dublin Live.
Those chilling orders were issued by Daniel Kinahan and his associates, who had fled to what they believed was a secure refuge in the distant UAE.
Yet it is through John O’Driscoll’s relentless pursuit of Kinahan, and the unwavering dedication of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Unit, that this lengthy investigation into the cartel has ultimately reached such a dramatic conclusion.
It was all too easy for many to cast doubt on the Gardai and insist this day would never arrive. Kinahan appeared to be enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Dubai – photographed as recently as last year occupying a front-row seat at a major UFC event in the Coca-Cola Arena.
Speculation mounted that he was being harboured by Dubai’s elite, and that despite his closest associate Sean McGovern having been successfully extradited, McGovern was merely a pawn – a sacrificial lamb sent back home to shield Kinahan from arrest. Those sceptics could not have been more mistaken.
Yet the wait for those who cared deeply was extraordinarily frustrating, unfolding against the backdrop of arguably one of the most complex and significant files submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions in living memory.
A file reportedly so voluminous it could reach the ceiling was submitted by gardaí to the DPP about two years ago. It ultimately recommended that Daniel Kinahan – a man whose face had rarely disappeared from the headlines since 2016 – be charged with murder and directing a criminal organisation.
Gardaí do not bring such charges lightly. It demands painstaking work and watertight evidence. Yet amid relentless pressure to deliver results and a bloody feud that saw individuals targeted almost daily, they committed the days, weeks, months and years necessary to finally bring Kinahan to justice.
It was a particular incident in June 2020 that proved a significant turning point. A brazen Kinahan, who despite being publicly named in this country as the leader of an international cocaine-trafficking cartel, had been attempting to establish himself as one of the most powerful figures in professional boxing. He had been quietly establishing his standing for bankrolling boxers and boxing competitions across the globe for years – but it was his bid to enter the spotlight that began to trigger the collapse.
Tyson Fury, the biggest name in the sport, revealed to the world that he was “just after getting off the phone with Daniel Kinahan” who had told him “that the biggest fight in British boxing history has just been agreed” – a clash with Anthony Joshua.
“Go on there my boy. Big shout out there to Dan, he got this done,” he proudly announced.
Two years later it transpired that the fight would not be proceeding – while Kinahan’s position as Tyson Fury’s adviser was terminated after the US department of Treasury and the Drugs Enforcement Association (DEA) stood with gardai in city hall and declared the sanctions against the Kinahan cartel.
Kinahan’s standing was seemingly in ruins – but despite everything, he somehow succeeded in clawing his way back into the favour of major figures in the world of UFC.
In recent months it came to light that Kinahan now appeared to be ringside with Mounir Lazzez, who had organised a major fighting event in the heart of Dubai.
Once more, despite the pressure, the man who emerged from the Oliver Bond flats all those years ago was still attempting to beat the odds.
One could speculate that the continued publicity in recent years of the Kinahan’s apparent high life in the UAE was becoming more than a poor image for the country’s government. Having expelled numerous international criminals in recent years, the message was unambiguous — Dubai was no longer a sanctuary for organised crime figures.
Yet for reasons unknown, Kinahan apparently remained convinced he was untouchable. He was reportedly moving freely throughout the city, conducting business and raising a family, all while facing what ultimately came to pass this week.
Perhaps he never truly believed this moment would arrive, or perhaps he had long since resigned himself to the fact that he would eventually have to answer for his actions.
Whatever the reality, the Dublin-born criminal and son of the so-called ‘Dapper Don’ will now finally face the consequences.