When the US government document landed in the early hours of Dubai time on Tuesday morning, it must have felt like a haymaker exploded on Daniel Kinahan’s chin.
In 1,400 succinct words, it revealed all the addresses, fake passport numbers, and the alleged crimes and misdemeanors of one of boxing’s most powerful men.
Then, on Tuesday morning, another blow came when the US State Department put a $5 million bounty on his head. Speaking in Dublin, US Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin said the reward would be provided for “information leading to the financial disruption of the Kinahans or the arrest or conviction” of Daniel Kinahan, his father Christopher Sr. and his brother. Christopher Jr
Tackling the Kinahans “is an urgent priority for President Biden and the US government,” she said.
For someone used to operating in the shadows, it must have come as one hell of a shock after fleeing Ireland to the United Arab Emirates.
But Kinahan’s uneasiness should be reflected in many in boxing as well. For years they welcomed and accommodated him as he built his reputation by establishing himself as a key figure within the sport.
Yet there was always a strange duality here. Criminal allegations against Kinahan mount with each passing year – in 2018 he was named head of a £1billion drug and arms smuggling cartel in Dublin High Court. And yet, at the same time, his power and influence in boxing grew.
He became a friend and advisor to Tyson Fury. A man people did business with. Perhaps promoters and broadcasters felt they had no choice given the sheer number of fighters in the MTK Global Agency, which he co-founded.
Perhaps Kinahan’s lack of criminal convictions — and denial of any wrongdoing — also led them to believe they had cover. But people like WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán, who recently praised Kinahan for “improving boxers’ lives in a special way,” don’t have such excuses.
Of course, the sport was aware of Kinahan’s reputation. Boxers are not naive. However, they appreciated the fact that he was generous, honest and caring about fighters – which is often a rarity in the sport and made them ignore all other things.
But not even boxing will be able to stand out and fake when faced with some hard truths now. Not when the US government bluntly states that the “Kinahan Organized Crime Group smuggles deadly drugs, including cocaine, into Europe and poses a threat to the entire legal economy through its role in international money laundering”.
In a statement, the US also noted: “Criminal groups like the KOCG prey on the most vulnerable in society and bring drug-related crime and violence, including homicide, to the countries in which they operate.”
Finally, Kinahan is also credited directly – as someone “who sources large quantities of cocaine from South America, plays a key role in organizing drug supplies in Ireland and seeks to facilitate the importation of cocaine into the UK.” Daniel Kinahan is known to have used false identification documents.”
Sanctions are now in place preventing US banks and corporations from doing business with Kinahan and its associates. As Gregory Gatjanis, a senior US official, put it, “Today, the Kinihans join the ranks of the Camorra and Japan’s yakuza.”
At a press conference, Garda Síochána Commissioner Drew Harris issued a direct warning to those in the sport who have ties to Kinahan.
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“Regarding individuals and very prominent athletes who are obviously associated in some way with this grouping. I would say you have to look at your sport, you have to look at your fans and you have to think about your own reputation because this is a very serious announcement,” he said.
Kinahan, he said, “could not hide from justice forever.”
A similar message was conveyed by Deputy Commissioner John O’Driscoll, who condemned Kinahan’s standing in the sport, saying his influence was “destroying or attempting to destroy a sport that is so important to inner-city communities.”
It is a warning that has already been issued several times. Maybe this time boxing is finally listening. On the other hand, this is boxing.
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