A SENIOR GARDA will be deployed to Abu Dhabi in the latest international efforts to crack down on the Kinahan cartel.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee has announced the expansion of the Garda Liaison Officer (GLO) network, which will entail the creation of two new liaison posts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital and Bangkok, Thailand. Another senior garda will also be assigned to Washington.

GLOs work with international law enforcement agencies abroad in investigating the activities of criminals of special interest to Gardaí.

Sergeants, inspectors and superintendents are currently stationed in Irish embassies across Europe and the US, carrying out diplomatic missions in Madrid, Paris, London, The Hague, Washington DC and Bogota.

According to Minister McEntee, the expansion of the GLO network will assist Gardaí in tackling the issues of organised crime and terrorism and “in pursuing criminals who spread misery here in Ireland, as well as abroad”. 

This is not the first action to be taken against the Kinahan gang on emirate soil.

In April of this year, The Journal reported on theUAE’s decision to freeze the assets of the cartel, including personal and corporate bank accounts. 

This move came just over a week after financial sanctions  were placed on Daniel Kinahan, Christy Kinahan Snr and Christy Kinahan Jnr as well as an offering of a $5m reward each for information leading to the conviction of the three senior gang members, as part of an unprecedented international action against the gang coordinated by US, EU and UK law enforcement.

The US has since banned 600 people with suspected links to the gang from entering the country.

The Kinahan family are currently operating in Dubai. They had previously been based in the south of Spain but relocated to the middle eastern city in a bid to avoid European law enforcement.

Speaking on the expansion of the network, Minister McEntee said: “We have seen the importance of international law enforcement coalitions in recent months as, through collaboration and cooperation with their partners, An Garda Síochána have enjoyed success in pursuing Irish criminals abroad, such as the Kinahan Organised Crime Group.

“Some criminals may think that they can evade justice by leaving Ireland, but these law enforcement coalitions demonstrate that they cannot,” she said.

The move, which is the second of its kind in two years, came at the request of Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris.

Two gardaí will also be temporarily assigned to France to assist the French National Police and Gendarmerie for the months of July and August.

Garda members are to patrol in uniform with French police officers and assist in the investigation of complaints by, or offences involving, Irish nationals.

The decision follows a request from French authorities and is similar to arrangements involving the temporary deployment of German, Spanish and Dutch police officers.