PLOT: Underworld criminal sets up arms summit in Med
By Cormac Byrne
Friday February 26 2010
A YOUNG Irishman based in Belgium has become the biggest supplier of drugs and credit to Dublin's gangs.
The 25-year-old, who works out of five star hotels in the capital is acting as trafficker Christy Kinahan's eyes and ears here as he serves a prison sentence in mainland Europe.
All of the city's main gangs, including deadly rivals are dealing with the young associate of Kinahan.
Gardai also have intelligence that Kinahan is working closely to end the feuds between the gangs and create one major drugs organisation in Dublin.
SUPPLIER
Kinahan is the main drug supplier to the 'Fat' Freddie Thompson gang and a revered figure among all members of Ireland's criminal underworld.
Kinahan (53) is currently serving a jail sentence for money laundering in Belgium and as well as running his operations in Dublin, his new commander-in-chief has also been charged with resolving the bloody feuds in the city that are proving "bad for business."
The deputy is a younger associate of Kinahan, who is on first name terms with a dozen or so major criminals, who head drug supply gangs across the city.
Kinahan has convictions for smuggling heroin and ecstasy in Ireland, and he has based in Belgium, Holland and the favourite haunt of Irish gangland figures, the Costa Del Sol, ever since he was released from jail in Ireland.
He arranges massive shipments of guns and drugs from Russian, Turkish and north African cartels into Ireland.
He had served a lengthy prison sentence at Ireland's highest security prison in Portlaoise after being convicted of fraud but has been operating actively for the past decade.
As part of his attempts to heal the rifts in Dublin's underworld, Kinahan reportedly recently arranged an all expenses paid trip to Puerto Banus for Dublin's major crime bosses.
The summit has been arranged to organise a major shipment of drugs and arms for Ireland, sources say.
'Fat' Freddie Thompson is reported to be attending, along with members of Limerick's gangs, as well as Finglas-based crime godfather 'The Don'.
The Mediterranean love-in is Kinahan's latest attempt to cool tensions on the streets of Dublin after he organised a night out for his gangland associates at a boxing bout in Dublin last year.
Crime figures like 'Fat' Freddie and 'The Don' were in attendance along with other leading figures.
"Kinahan's boxing treat was just the start of his charm offensive," a senior Garda source revealed.
RIVALS
"He knows people like The Don have been killing rivals because they're convinced they're going to be wiped out.
"But Kinahan is cute enough to realise more violence on the streets brings more detectives on to the streets which is bad for business.
"He's the main man in Spain, and if he can keep all the gangs sweet with boxing matches and foreign holidays he'll continue to rake in a fortune."
Kinahan is a major target of Europol, based in The Hague, Holland and any meeting between the gang bosses would be monitored closely.
hnews@herald.ie
- Cormac Byrne
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