Nero Drinks Company Ltd, headquartered in Stepps, has been named as a key asset to the Kinahan family by researchers by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
The company, which produces Nero vodka, is owned “directly or indirectly” by Johnny Morrissey, a close friend and public supporter of gangster Daniel Kinahan. Morrissey, who is believed to live on the Costa del Sol, started the project in 2020 with his wife Nicola. She is listed as the sole director of the company in the official records of Companies House, but is not a direct target of sanctions. The US Treasury Department says of the vodka company: “Nero Drinks was designated for ownership or control, directly or indirectly, by John Morrissey. Upload video Video is not available Click to play Click to play The video will play automatically soon8Cancel Play now “John Morrissey, who externally serves as Nero Drinks’s ambassador, has invested heavily in Nero Drinks and given a significant portion of the business to Daniel Kinahan to compensate for the multitude of drugs seized by law enforcement. . “John Morrissey controls and operates Nero Drinks through his wife, the main shareholder, who is used as a frontperson for his interests.” Kinahan, the son of convicted Irish drug dealer Christy Kinahan Senior, is a boxing supporter with star links like Tyson Fury. He has been named in Irish courts as a leader in global organized crime networks, although he has no criminal convictions. Detectives say the ina 1 billion Kinahan’s drug empire is dumping South American cocaine into Ireland – and trying to smuggle it into the UK. Working with agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the UK National Crime Agency, Irish police and Europol, the Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on companies linked to the Kinahans – and issued arrest warrants for three of them. the faces of the family. He will offer rewards of up to $ 5 million (3, 3.8 million) for information leading to the arrest of Christopher Kinahan Sr., the son of Christie Jr. or Daniel, he told a news conference in Dublin on Tuesday. The sanctions make it illegal for Americans to do business with Nero Vodka, along with the other companies and individuals on the list. The agencies hope the restrictions will put pressure on the gangsters behind the companies. The National Crime Agency says the Kinahan family has been linked to more than a dozen murders, firearms trafficking, money laundering and the distribution of “multimillion-dollar shipments” of drugs across the UK and Europe. NCA officials say they have averted eight death threats in recent years and have seized dozens of firearms in an effort to quell the gang. Matt Horn, the agency’s deputy director of investigations, said: “They thought they were untouchable, but the sanctions imposed today would be a huge blow to the Kinahans. The Daily Record and the Sunday Mail have always been at the forefront of reporting crime in Scotland. But do you know all the ways in which you can get information about the top front pages of crime and the courts? We share live crime news and exclusive court stories, as well as features and columns for historical cases, keeping our readers informed and informed across the country. “It has cut them off from the global financial system, making them toxic to legitimate businesses and financial institutions, and will make other criminals think twice about working with them.” Brian E Nelson, US Undersecretary of State for Terrorism and Economic Intelligence, said: in which they operate. . “ The sanctions list also includes Kinahan associates Bernard Clancy, John Morrissey himself, Ian Dixon and Sean McGovern, along with two companies based in the United Arab Emirates, Hoopoe Sports and Ducashew General Trading. Rewarding Posters for Kinahans Information Revealed Today (Image: Niall Carson / PA Wire) Kinahans-linked fraudsters have recently been found behind bars thanks to international law enforcement agencies. Last month, Thomas “Bomber” Kavanagh, who ran the family’s criminal business in the UK, was sentenced to 21 years in prison along with brothers-in-law Gary Vickery and Daniel Canning, who were sentenced to 20 years and 19.5 years respectively. . The data showed that they were responsible for imports of cocaine estimated at up to 23.4 million pounds and cannabis imports worth about 6.4 million pounds. Nero Vodka’s ability to market has been severely hampered (Image: Facebook) James Mulvey was arrested in Lithuania in 2017 after NCA investigators proved that he was trafficking drugs worth about 68 million pounds. He is currently serving a 32-year prison sentence. Daniel Kinahan has previously denied any involvement in organized crime. The lawyers of Kinahan, who is believed to live in Dubai, told the BBC last year: “The savage allegations that he runs a violent cartel are false and have absolutely no evidence.” In 2019, Nero announced a five-figure sponsorship deal with the Hamilton Academical Football Club. But the club has now confirmed that the deal was canceled because the drink brand “was not as successful as it initially hoped”. A Club spokesman said: “The department has confirmed that there was a proposed sponsorship deal advertising Nero Vodka in 2019. “Banners and signs advertising Nero Vodka were placed at the club’s stadium. The agreement was canceled before the pandemic. “We understand that the product was not as successful as we initially hoped and the sponsorship was canceled with the payments. “As the lockdown was imposed, some of the signs remained in New Douglas Park in the hope that we might be able to attract further sponsorships in the future. “ Nero Vodka contacted for comments. 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