UAE Arrests Crime Gang Leader Within 48 Hours

The UAE arrested Daniel Kinahan, one of the fugitives in organized crime cases, within less than 48 hours after receiving an official extradition request from Ireland. In a separate case, 82 properties linked to criminal investigations in the UAE were seized in cooperation with France.

Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, the UAE Minister of Justice, mentioned these two cases as examples of rapid international judicial cooperation at the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Kinahan, who fled to Dubai in 2016 after a shooting at a hotel in Dublin, had evaded justice for nearly a decade. After a complete judicial process and a final ruling from the Dubai Court of Cassation, he was extradited to Ireland on August 9, 2026, facing charges of leading a criminal organization.

In 2022, the US identified Kinahan as one of the three leaders of the Kinahan organized crime group. This group has been accused of trafficking large quantities of cocaine from South America to Ireland, the UK, and Spain, laundering hundreds of millions of euros through legitimate businesses, and orchestrating a gang war that has left at least 18 dead. The US also offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Kinahan's arrest.

In the second case, direct cooperation between UAE and French officials led to the identification and tracking of assets related to four individuals, resulting in the seizure of 82 properties in the UAE in November 2025.

Al Nuaimi also announced that extradition requests for criminals to the UAE increased by 235% between 2021 and 2025, and requests for mutual legal assistance also rose by 244% during the same period.

The UAE now has over 140 bilateral judicial cooperation agreements with 53 countries. According to the Minister of Justice, the average response time to voluntary extradition requests has also decreased to five days, while international guidelines consider a timeframe of 60 to 180 days.

This UN Congress, attended by officials from various countries in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice, will continue until October 1 in Abu Dhabi.
Source: Gulf Times