Colombian drug barons are still working with the Kinahan cartel – even though they are at the centre of a massive worldwide policing crackdown, it has emerged.
More than a week on from the unveiling of unprecedented international sanctions against boss Daniel Kinahan and his key allies, a senior investigator has told The Star that Colombian mobsters are still sending the gang cocaine for sale in Ireland and Europe.
“The Colombians don’t care if Kinahan is on some sanctions list — they are still working with him,” the anti-drugs investigator said.
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But he also revealed that Daniel Kinahan, 44, and his crew have lost their lines of credit with the cartels in south America because of fears they will be arrested as part of the investigation — and must now pay in advance in full for all shipments.
“Once the Kinahans keep stumping up the cash, the Colombians will keep sending them tonnes of cocaine. There is no doubt about that,” the source added.
The highly-placed investigator was speaking to The Star just a day after Kinahan, his father Christy, 65, and his brother Christopher Junior, 41, were hit with a hammer blow by authorities in Dubai, where they have been enjoying the good life since 2017.
Authorities in the UAE on Thursday announced they had hit them and other key allies with sanctions identical to those imposed on them by the United States just under two weeks ago in a dramatic press conference hosted by the Garda in Dublin.
The sanctions mean all the Kinahans’ assets in the UAE — thought to be worth tens of millions of euros — have now been frozen and they cannot access them.
The sanctions also ban UAE businesses from dealing with the men — and that means they can’t even buy a litre of milk.
It also means they are not allowed to travel on UAE-linked jets and can’t touch their own bank accounts.
Gardai believe those latest sanctions — as well as those imposed by the US and its decision to offer a reward of up to $5 million for information that leads to the trio’s arrest — were a major setback for the gang.
There had also been speculation that the Colombian barons who provide the Kinahans with hundreds of millions of euro worth of cocaine every year would dump them because of the crackdown.
But a senior and experienced investigator has now told The Star that the cartel will still get their cocaine from the south Americans.
The source said: “This changes nothing for the supply route. The Colombians won’t give a sh**e about what is going on at the minute with the Americans and Kinahan.
“It is all about money for them. The Kinahans have the cash — even though some of their assets have been frozen — to pay for the drugs and the Colombians will continue to do business with them.
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“There is no chance of the Colombians dropping them; it won’t happen. You send your money over they will send you the gear, thank you very much.
“They don’t care whether you’re America’s number one target. The Colombians have been doing this for years. They will not be frightened by some sanctions. They will supply whoever gives them cash, and that includes Daniel.”
But he also added the Colombians would be insisting on cash payments up front — and that any line of credit the Irish mob had was now dead.
The Kinahans had a long-standing relationship with Colombians that allowed them a form of credit where they made rolling payments for consignments, the source said – but that is now dead.
He added: “The Colombians will want the cash up front now. There is no chance of credit.”
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