KEY Kinahan cartel thug Ian Dixon has reportedly been spotted playing padel in Dubai – despite being one of the most wanted fugitives in Europe.
The shadowy “trusted lieutenant” of mob kingpin Daniel Kinahan was pictured for the first time in over a decade living a millionaire’s fantasy in a plush UAE suburb.
It comes after Dixon disappeared a decade ago when the US imposed sanctions on the Kinahan cartel and offered rewards leading to the arrest of top figures.
The sensational report by The Sunday Times and Bellingcat tracked down Dixon living openly in Dubai – while other cartel bosses live in fear of arrest and extradition.
The Kinahan Organised Crime Group is responsible for dozens of murders, gangland shootings and a massive international drug smuggling operation.
The ruthless cartel is credited with around a third of the cocaine being trafficked into Europe – but they are also gun-runners and experts in money laundering.
Their client list is a “who’s who” of world terror, including bloodthirsty Mexican and Colombian cartels, Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, and Iranian spies.
The Kinahan family are believed to have raked in a staggering £1.2billion fortune.
De facto boss Daniel Kinahan, 49, was arrested in April on suspicion of serious organised crime offences and is currently awaiting extradition to Ireland.
His younger brother, Christopher Jr, could be arrested next and cops have vowed to hunt him and his dad Christy down.
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It also comes after fellow cartel leader Sean McGovern was extradited from the UAE to Dublin and sentenced earlier this month to 24 years for his role in the Kinahan gang.
This “decapitation” of the network begs the question of who will be next to take charge of the reeling cartel – and Dixon’s name has now been put in the spotlight.
Dixon, from Tallaght, Dublin, is Daniel’s cousin and has been a longtime key ally of his, reports say.
When Daniel and his brother Christopher moved to the Costa del Sol in their late teens to live with their dad Christy, Dixon was also there.
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He first started working as a trainer at MGM Marbella, the boxing gym founded by Daniel that would go on to represent some of the biggest name in boxing.
The Kinahans, along with Dixon, fled to Dubai in 2016.
And in 2022, the US government placed a £4million bounty on each Kinahan.
But according to the report, Dixon is enjoying a luxurious life in the Gulf.
In the probe, he was linked to a sprawling villa in a gated community outside Dubai.
The area boasts stunning properties with prices that can reach about £2million.
He is also alleged to use the alias Ian Thomas – which seemingly is based on his middle name Thomas.
Dixon appears to spend a lot of his time playing padel – one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
In 2024, he reportedly played in the master final of the Asia Pacific Padel Tour in Dubai.
The venue was a sports centre surrounded by luxury residential properties just outside the city.
Dixon registered for the tournament using the name Ian Thomas, before playing four doubles matches between December 13 and 15, according to the report.
He and his partner secured second place in the competition, losing the final to a British and Venezuelan duo.
Footage obtained by the outlets showed Dixon playing in the live streamed event.
Dixon could also be seen smiling for a picture as he received his silver medal.
He also appeared in another padel event at the same venue a few months after the video was taken.
Pictures from that venue posted to its social media profile showed his face covered by smiley-face emojis, while in another it was blurred.
But there was one image where his face was not obscured.
In another photo, a man resembling Dixon is pictured about to hit a ball.
The original image was posted on the club’s Instagram page in late 2023 with no name or tag, but bearing the caption: “Elevating fun, one swing at a time.”
The investigation also found a profile on padel app WeCourts showing a player named “Ian Thomas”, who played 16 ranked matches in Dubai between September 2024 and April, the most recent the week after Daniel’s arrest.
Another sports-ranking website listed the nationality of Ian Thomas as Irish and his age as 36, closely matching Dixon. Neither site included profile pictures.
Dixon was also seen at padel events alongside Stephen Jamieson, a convicted criminal who was extradited from Dubai to Scotland late last year.
Jamieson was sentenced to six years in prison for organised crime and drugs charges in April.
He was described in court as “a significant figure in Scotland’s serious organised crime landscape”.
Jamieson was one of the most important drug traffickers to emerge from the Scotland.
The padel video suggests Dixon and Jamieson know each other well.
It could also suggest that the Scottish gangster’s operation may have been working on behalf of the Kinahan cartel.
In a Dubai APPT tournament in December 2024, Dixon can be seen warmly greeting Jamieson in the seating area behind the central court on the day the Irishman played in the amateur final.
Jamieson was also pictured with Dixon at another padel event at the same venue in April last year, ten weeks prior to Jamieson’s arrest in July.
A senior intelligence source told The Times: “Dixon could be the man who Christy might trust to oversee the entire operation. He’s a blood relative. He’s smart and he deeply understands the finances but he wouldn’t have the contacts Christy has.
“It is impossible to say exactly what’s going to happen, but this cartel is a global operation. The arrest and conviction of the likes of McGovern won’t automatically lead to its demise. It’s a massive operation built to last.”