The Irish crime network known as the Kinahan cartel has long been named as a top global narco
threat — and that kind of accolade brings heat from both rivals and police. It would make for a strange
existence, balancing money and influence while glancing over a shoulder for a bullet or a badge
But you wouldn't know it from the look of ease and the public profile of the alleged — but unproven and
unconvicted — head Daniel Kinahan, an Irishman living in Dubai his profile as a sports businessman
was publicly boosted in recent days by both a government minister and a leading boxing official
but the so-called Kinahan cartel was also dealing with this: ... "I'm arresting you on suspicion between
November 2016 and October 2017 of conspiring to import and supply Class A and B controlled drugs,
conspiring to import..." The Mob Reporter here with news of the downfall of what police say
is the Kinahan cartel's top man in Britain. This is footage of his arrest at an airport in 2019.
It's been a long slog to get from there to where we are today, which is finally seeing
conviction and sentencing for this narco once branded "untouchable." Let me tell you about it
The man billed as the Kinahan network's top man in Britain has fallen. His name is Thomas Kavanagh
originally from Dublin, Ireland; nicknamed "Bomber." On March 28, 2022, the 54-year-old Kavanagh was
sentenced to 21 years in prison for a drug importing conspiracy and money laundering
When Kavanagh heard his sentence in court, he blew a kiss to his family
He might as well kiss the better part of the rest of his life away
Sentenced alongside him were two underlings: Gary Vickery, 39, and Daniel Canning, 43.
Vickery was Kavanagh's number two, nicknamed "Jelly," He was sentenced to 20 years in prison
And Canning, Vickery's son-in-law, was nicknamed "Smiley." He traveled across Europe keeping an
eye on the firm's activities. He was given 19 and a half years in prison. All are Dublin born, extending
the Irish crime group's reach into Britain. Together it's a significant catch for the cops
The trio ran a commercial-scale smuggling network bringing cocaine and cannabis into Britain
Their modus operandi was hiding dope inside industrial machinery being imported into Britain
Money then moved out in return. Prosecutors called it "a carousel," a near constant cycle of
drugs in and money out. Police captured emails and text messages between the three, some sent
using EncroChat, an encrypted communication app used by criminals that was cracked by authorities
Some messages were in code, others seemed to just be
semi-literate. I can only imagine an English judge trying to make heads or tails out of this...
The end for Kavanagh started where his career began. Police in Dublin seized documents during
a probe in 2017 that revealed the name of a freight company in England
A large stash of guns was seized then, including a submachine gun and an assault rifle. This was
at a time the cartel was embroiled in a deadly gangland feud and three people were arrested
including Declan Brady, an Irish gangster with the great nickname "Mr. Nobody" —because Irish cops
didn't know who he was until he was a pallbearer at a gangland funeral for a Kinahan associate
The Irish tip nudged a U.K. investigation. In October 2017, a six-ton asphalt removal machine arrived
at the port of Dover. When police tracked it down, hidden inside were 15 kilos of cocaine
and 200 kilos of cannabis. If that's not criminal enough, on the packages they used
logos of Manchester United Football Club as a storied soccer team; for some that's sacrilege
The machine was being sent to a warehouse in Wolverhampton, near Birmingham, the U.K.'s second
largest city. Police found a GPS tracker attached to it. It seems Kavanagh didn't trust anyone.
Instead of a drug-packed machine arriving, it was an NCA team raiding three industrial
units. At one unit, police found the shell of a lead-line transformer
It still had traces of cocaine inside, along with a gun that led to Vickery's home nearby. There they
found barrels of boric acid, a powder often used as a cutting agent to dilute cocaine for street sale
Also found was a large stash of cash and a cash counting machine. Vickery was arrested in the Canary
Islands and extradited to the U.K. A raid on Canning's house turned up encrypted phones and cash. The phone
revealed that their code name for Kavanagh was "The Gaffer," an English term for the boss
As for Kavanagh, his home was a luxury mansion in Tamworth, 14 miles northeast of Birmingham
Tamworth was once home to Sir Robert Peel, the father of modern policing. That's why, incidentally,
English cops are called "Bobbies" — after Robert Peel. In any event, Kavanagh knew how dangerous
his line of work was. He spent grandly on fortification of his home: reinforced doors
bulletproof windows, security gates, and cameras. Police raided the place after his airport arrest
There they found wads of cash in various currencies sprinkled around the house,
stuffed in bags and in drawers and even down the back of the sofa
Investigators found an illegal stun gun, and a large array of other potential weapons, including
knives, bats, and swords — but no firearms or drugs, which may have disappointed police. Kavanagh slept
with some of the weapons at his side. All three pleaded guilty in 2020 but their sentencing was
delayed, some of it by Covid and some by haggling over the plea deal. Police didn't catch much of
Kavanagh's dope. The asphalt machine contained the first and the last known load that police
got their hands on, but investigators analyzed communications and documents from Kavanagh's
logistics company and traced past loads. Between October 2016 and October 2017, investigators said
22 previous imports likely brought in as much as 800 kilos of cannabis and 300 kilos of coke
Meanwhile, the alleged boss of the Kinahan group, Daniel Kinahan, remains free in Dubai
in the United Arab Emirates, a nation that doesn't have an extradition treaty with Ireland
Far from hiding in the shadows, though, he remains a public figure, even recently meeting with a
provincial minister of sports from Pakistan who tweeted photos from their meeting in this grand
hotel, Kinahan has long been involved in boxing. He's been a major figure behind fighters and as
a promoter. The president of the World Boxing Council also recently met with Kinahan in Dubai
Last week he wrote that although Kinahan has been labeled a person linked to criminal groups,
the two had a great talk and Kinahan had the president's full support
That line was later deleted from his post. It suggests Kinahan remains busy,; as do police
in Ireland and Britain. And now a rare and quick announcement from me to unveil my new Patreon
service where fans are invited to subscribe for bonus material and other perks. Visit Patreon.com/
TheMobReporter for all the details. Thank you. I'd appreciate it and thanks for watching