Drew Harris’ meeting in Dubai about the Kinahans suggests the cartel is “running out of time”, a leading crime expert has said. 

The Kinahans are widely thought to be hiding out in the United Arab Emirates and the Garda Commissioner has flown out to discuss bringing them to justice with senior members of local law enforcement.

Speaking to The Hard Shoulder, Irish Independent crime correspondent Paul Williams described the trip as a “very significant” development.

“This is just another step on the road towards the complete defenestration and destruction of the top tier of the Kinahan organisation,” he said.

“It’s going to take time, it’s going to probably take years but this is a very significant development.”

Last year, the US Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin announced a $5m reward for information that led to the arrest of three members of the Kinahan family.

The US Department of the Treasury has also imposed financial sanctions on seven people it believes are members of the gang.

Mr Williams believes American involvement has dramatically increased the chances of the gang being brought to justice.

“[Since] last April, the world has basically closed down a lot of the world around the Kinahans,” he said.

“The only place they can stay at the moment is Dubai.

“You have a huge international effort of everybody working together with one goal and that’s to put Christy Junior and that awful psychopathic narcissistic Daniel behind bars forever.”

US Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin. Picture by: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Mr Williams said the Kinahans now “have to look over their shoulder all the time, every time of every day” and are living in fear of UAE authorities agreeing to their extradition.

“I’d say Dubai authorities are well aware of all of this… they know exactly who they are dealing with,” he said.

“Daniel and Christy might have brought huge suitcases full of very large denomination notes with them in the tens of millions of euro to buy their way into Dubai.

“But there are Sheiks sitting over there who won’t give a fiddlers about them when it comes down to the bottom line; if it comes down to causing them discomfort - especially in their relationship with the United States and with Europe, then Christy Kinahan and Daniel will be history.

“They’re running out of time.”

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Main image: Split of Daniel Kinahan and Drew Harris.