Irish organised crime figure Christy Kinahan is reportedly in Zimbabwe after leaving the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he had lived for more than a decade,...
By Fanuel Viriri
Irish organised crime figure Christy Kinahan is reportedly in Zimbabwe after leaving the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he had lived for more than a decade, according to reports by Irish media.
The 69-year-old is said to have arrived in Zimbabwe on October 4, 2026, using an alias, as Irish police, known as Gardaí, seek to establish his whereabouts following the expiry of his deadline to leave the UAE on September 29.
The Irish Times reported that Kinahan’s departure followed a change in the UAE authorities’ position on his right to remain in the country. His visa allowing him to reside there had been withdrawn, and his appeal against the decision did not succeed before his legal options expired at the end of August.
Reports indicated that Kinahan left Dubai shortly before the deadline. Although some sources suggested that he could travel to Turkey, where his partner’s family is from, the latest reports have identified Zimbabwe as his possible destination. His partner holds a Dutch passport, according to the report.
Kinahan’s reported arrival would not be his first stay in Zimbabwe. Documents leaked in 2022 and reported by DublinLive in November that year indicated that he had previously explored establishing a long-term base in the country while presenting himself as a legitimate businessman.
According to the documents, Kinahan used the name Christopher Vincent when attempting to secure a marriage licence in Zimbabwe. The reports said he intended to establish a permanent base for himself and relocate his long-term partner and their three children to the country.
The documents also indicated that he had established at least one company in the construction sector, an arrangement that was expected to make him eligible for a 12-month visa. He was understood to have lived with his family in a rented house in Harare for several months and travelled in and out of Zimbabwe as recently as March or April 2022.
That period preceded the announcement of United States financial sanctions against Kinahan. At the time, reports suggested that Zimbabwean authorities had blocked his applications over concerns that the country could become a base for the operations of his alleged drug trafficking network.
Kinahan is internationally known for founding the Kinahan cartel in southern Spain more than 25 years ago. The organisation grew into one of Europe’s most powerful alleged drug trafficking networks, with reported activities involving the movement of narcotics and firearms and money laundering across Ireland, the United Kingdom, Spain and other locations.
The group, also known as the Dapper Don empire, became associated with the Kinahan-Hutch feud, a violent conflict that began in 2015. Kinahan and his sons, Daniel Kinahan and Christopher Kinahan Jnr, relocated to Dubai more than a decade ago as investigations by Gardaí, Spanish police and British law enforcement intensified.
Dubai was considered an attractive location for European criminals at the time because of the absence of extradition agreements with the European Union, according to the report. However, cooperation between the UAE and Ireland has since increased, including through an extradition treaty that has enabled the transfer of suspects to Ireland.
Kinahan has been the subject of US sanctions, and American law enforcement previously offered a reward of US$5 million for information leading to his capture. His sons have also been sanctioned. Despite his international profile, Kinahan Snr has not been charged with a criminal offence in Ireland, according to the supplied report.
A file submitted to Ireland’s Director of Public Prosecutions following a significant Garda investigation three years ago resulted in no recommendation to prosecute him. Sources cited in the report said he was not implicated in the evidence being used to prosecute other alleged leaders of the organisation.
The leaked documents reported in 2022 also claimed that Kinahan had hoped to purchase at least nine aircraft from the Egyptian Air Force. The reported plan was to use the aircraft to transport drugs around Africa, although the supplied information does not establish that the proposed purchase took place.
The pressure on Kinahan’s former base in Dubai has increased following developments involving other alleged members of the network. Sean McGovern, described as the alleged former right-hand man of Daniel Kinahan, was arrested in Dubai in October 2024 following an extradition request from Ireland.
McGovern was extradited to Ireland in April 2025 and sentenced to 24 years in prison for directing organised crime in connection with the early years of the Kinahan-Hutch feud. His case marked a significant development in the use of extradition arrangements between the two countries.
Daniel Kinahan was subsequently arrested in Dubai in April and became the first person extradited under the new treaty in August, according to the report. He is being held on remand at Portlaoise Prison pending trial on a single count of directing organised crime.
Christopher Kinahan Jnr, meanwhile, remains in Dubai, where his visa was recently extended, according to the report.
The whereabouts of Christy Kinahan Snr following his reported departure from the UAE remain uncertain. Irish authorities are seeking to establish where he is, while Zimbabwe has emerged in media reports as his latest possible destination.
The reported arrival has renewed attention on Kinahan’s previous links to Zimbabwe and allegations that he sought to establish a base in the country. However, the available information does not independently confirm his current location or establish that he has entered Zimbabwe.
