Special agents infiltrate notorious cartel as global drug empire unravels
An undercover operation by the US has successfully penetrated the notorious Kinahan cartel's international drug trafficking network, court documents have revealed.
The American sting, which began in June 2022, exposed the Irish crime syndicate's growing ambitions to rival top-tier cartels like Mexico's Sinaloa by expanding into synthetic drugs, including methamphetamine and fentanyl. The intelligence breakthrough comes after eight men linked to the Kinahans, one of whom formerly advised ex heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, were jailed following a military-style operation on a £130m cocaine shipment in the Irish Sea last year.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operation began in Ankara, Turkey, where agents recruited a confidential informant known only by the codename 'Queen.' They then infiltrated the cartel's upper echelons and gained the trust of Opinder Singh Sian, a Canadian national allegedly connected to the Kinahans, the Italian mafia and Turkish traffickers.
Sian, who was arrested in Nevada last month, allegedly disclosed plans to smuggle meth to Australia and chemicals for fentanyl into the US via Canada. Under surveillance, Sian met with undercover agents posing as drug smugglers and held talks at a California restaurant in March 2023 to discuss large-scale trafficking via the Port of Long Beach.
US agents staged a dummy handover and traced shipments to Sydney using GPS-tracked containers. Parallel investigations in Australia targeted local distributors, while DEA operatives seized genuine narcotics for analysis and replaced them with dummy packages.
The covert operation highlighted the cartel's use of encrypted apps like Threema for communication. The infiltration marked a turning point in the global crackdown on the Kinahan organisation, long headquartered in Dubai and led by Christy Kinahan and his sons Daniel and Christopher Jr.
All three are subject to US sanctions and international arrest warrants, with a $5 million (£3.71 million) bounty placed on them. The revelations follow the dramatic seizure of 2.2 tonnes of cocaine on board the MV Matthew in Irish waters in September 2023, in the largest maritime drugs bust in the country's history.
Acting on international intelligence, Irish authorities tracked the Panama-flagged cargo vessel after it left Curaçao, Venezuela. As the ship entered Irish waters, elite soldiers from the Irish Army Ranger Wing fast-roped from helicopters in severe weather to board the vessel, while Naval Service crews issued warning shots during a high-speed pursuit.
A companion trawler, the FV Castlemore, had previously attempted multiple failed rendezvous with the MV Matthew to offload the cocaine. After running aground, the trawler's crew issued a distress call, inadvertently alerting authorities to the smuggling operation.
Voice messages recovered from Dubai-linked gang, including a figure named 'Captain Noah' – instructed the MV Matthew to jettison the drugs by lifeboat. However, the swift response by Irish forces led to the arrest of the crew and the seizure of the consignment.
The eight men sentenced for the trafficking operation included nationals from the UK, Iran, Ukraine, the Netherlands and the Philippines, with jail terms ranging from 13 and a half to 20 years.
Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis, of the Garda's Organised and Serious Crime Bureau, said: 'Transnational organised crime groups know no borders. They prey on people's vulnerability for their own financial gain. Life is cheap and protecting their core criminal interest – money – is their key priority.'
Three years ago, Fury said US government sanctions against Daniel Kinahan were "none of my business.' Prominent names in boxing were urged to cut ties with Kinahan, alleged to be the head of an Irish organised crime gang, after the US government targeted him with sanctions.
Kinahan has always denied any wrongdoing. He has previously been pictured with Fury, but at the time, the boxer said he had not had any business dealings with Kinahan "for a long time" and repeatedly insisted it was "none of his concern".
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Belfast Telegraph
19 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Terror charge against Kneecap's Mo Chara ‘brought too late and should be thrown out', court told
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Today 09:21 AM Gerry Carroll addresses crowds outside court MLA Gerry Carroll addresses the crowds outside the courthouse, condemning "racist protests" in Northern Ireland and criticising the police for going after Kneecap and pro-Palestine groups instead of "racist bigots". Today 09:15 AM Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh receives another rockstar welcome at court Following similar scenes at his previous court appearance in June, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh arrived at court this morning and was once again supported by fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh. The Met Police imposed restrictions on protesters to avoid chaos outside the court. Kneecap described the strict conditions on protesters as a 'calculated political decision' that was 'designed to try and portray support for Kneecap as somehow troublesome'. However the band had appealed to supporters "to go out of your way to be compliant with all instructions issued, irrespective of how pitiful'. 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Today 08:28 AM Sinn Fein MP among protesters outside court John Finucane is addressing activists ahead of Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh's court appearance. The North Belfast representative has joined pro-Palestine campaigners outside the courthouse. "We will be here tomorrow, we will be here next week, we will be here next month," he said. "We will be here as long as is necessary, with one clear voice and one clear message, free Palestine, free Mo Chara, tiochfaidh ar lá" Today 08:21 AM 'I love their music and the fact that they want to free Palestine' Arul Joseph from London believes Kneecap are massively popular outside of Ireland and has been following them for a year. Today 08:11 AM Rush hour commuters express support for Kneecap member facing terror charge Drivers passing a protest zone outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in London have been honking their horns in support of activists. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh is due to appear before a judge this morning accused of supporting the proscribed terror group Hezbollah. Our reporter Niamh Campbell is there. Niamh Campbell on Twitter / X Westminster Magistrates is packed - people keep beeping their horns as they drive past #kneecap #mochara @BelTel Niamh Campbell (@niamh_journo) August 20, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. Today 08:07 AM 'I'm pro Kneecap' Niamh Campbell talks to Louise Kelleher, who is originally from Co Cork but lives in London, about why she is supporting Mo Chara today. Today 07:58 AM Crowd grows ahead of Kneecap member's court appearance Our reporter Niamh Campbell is outside court: "Protesters have been gathering outside Westminster Magistrates Court since 8am this morning. "Some of them are waving Palestine flags with one activist from NI wearing a massive papier-mâché head imitating DJ Provaí. 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Today 07:20 AM Catch up podcast: The first court appearance Chaos in London as Kneecap's Mo Chara appears in court over terror charge External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. Today 07:12 AM What's been said During a recent Féile an Phobail event earlier this month, Kneecap's band manager, Dublin native Daniel Lambert, said that Óg hAnnaidh 'knows that he's right'. Speaking at the 'West Belfast Talks Back' initiative, he stated: 'I don't want to speak for Liam Óg, but I think there's a great sense of conviction that comes when you know that you're right... and you haven't done anything wrong. 'You walk into any room, and there's a group of people against you, but you're clear on what you've done and that you've done the right thing, and that kind of counts for a lot. That's the way he kind of feels about it.' Today 07:12 AM What's happening today? Legal argument is set to be dealt with in the court today. 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Scotsman
33 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Where is Amanda Knox now? True story behind Disney+ show
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Scottish Sun
33 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Watch as Justin Bieber lookalike tricks Vegas club into letting him perform to oblivious fans – & runs up a $10k bar tab
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WATCH as a Justin Bieber lookalike tricks a Vegas nightclub into letting him perform on stage and run up a $10,000 bar tab. Staff and partygoers at the five-star Wynn Las Vegas hotel were convinced that scammer Dylan Desclos, 29, was the real Canadian pop star. 7 The fake Bieber seized the chance to perform to an adoring crowd Credit: X 7 Fans clamoured to record a video of the fake Bieber performing 7 Bieber, actually Dylan Desclos, poses with an oblivious party-goer Credit: X LA-based DJ Gryffin was performing at XS Nightclub, and was told that Bieber, 31, was in town, reports TMZ. He heard that the superstar wanted to perform at his Saturday night show - and readily agreed, inviting him into the DJ booth. Videos posted to social media show the shirtless, tattooed fake singing and dancing on stage in front of a packed crowd. Almost everyone is recording the moment on their phones and appear totally fooled. He belts out Bieber's hit Sorry and prances around, always wearing a pair of dark glasses. The DJ is also completely oblivious, hyping up the prankster from behind the decks. Another clip shows adoring fans clamouring to snap a selfie with Desclos. A fake security team was in tow, and the group wandered around splashing cash at shops and behind the bar. The impersonator got through a couple of tracks before staff clocked onto the ruse and booted him off stage. Gryffin saw the funny side of the saga and documented how it unfolded on Instagram. Justin Bieber sparks concern with series of worrying selfies as he refers to drugs in shock post He posted a series of clips along with his version of events, dubbing the faker "Bustin Jeiber". Gryffin wrote: "How Bustin Jeiber duped me during me own set. How I ended up in this situation. "It started when Bustin Jeiber showed up to the club and I was told he wanted to perform. "Dark venue and loud music didn't help here. "So his 'team' said he wanted to perform Sorry. Little did I know I was about to be sorry... 7 The DJ said the club conditions made it hard to recognise the fake 7 Fake Bieber rocked up with a 'security team' 7 Dylan Desclos has a history of impersonating Bieber "The place went wild, and after 4 minutes and 27 seconds of what sounded like Justin Bieber, I found out the worst news imaginable. "COMPLETE FAKE. NO WAY." At the end of the video, Gryffin said: "I literally thought, 'He's put on a lot of weight since the album dropped.'" A rep for Wynn and XS Nightclub told TMZ: 'After an elaborate and multi-step ruse by him and his advance team, a Justin Bieber impersonator was granted access to the XS stage. 'As soon as the error was recognized, he was removed from the resort and denied future entry.' Desclos eventually paid the tab he and his gang racked up.
