In a special press conference convened jointly by the authorities of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the European Union and the United States, which is responsible for the fight against serious and organized crime, awards were announced for senior executives accused of leading the Group. Kinahan (KOCG). This came after the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Kinahan and six other alleged leaders of the group – including Christopher Snr’s father and Christopher Jnr’s brother – banning banks and other companies from doing business with them. Irish police also said they were continuing to gather evidence against suspects based in the United Arab Emirates, with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris warning: “You can run, but you can not hide from justice.” There was no suggestion of a felony by Fury, who, however, had unprecedented pressure from police to have no further contact with Kinahan ahead of his fight for the world heavyweight title against Dillian Whyte next weekend. Kinahan, who has never been convicted of a crime, has long been accused of leading a group behind a 1 1 billion global firearms and drug trafficking empire responsible for a series of murders in the Republic of Ireland and elsewhere. The charges against him, which he has repeatedly denied, were set out in forensic detail during Tuesday’s press conference. Harris warned that there were no longer any excuses for those involved in the sport to continue to engage with Kinahan, who has become a trusted advisor to several boxers. “What was silent before and what some people might have chosen to ignore is absolutely clear,” Harris said. “You have to look at your sport, you have to look at your fans and you have to think about your reputation because this is a very serious announcement made today.” Fury, who was photographed with Kinahan only in February, has not revealed whether the alleged mastermind of the crime continued to make any contribution to his career. It was revealed in June 2020 that Fury will no longer be represented by Kinahan in the negotiations for his scheduled fight with Anthony Joshua for the undisputed world heavyweight championship. This came after Kinahan’s involvement in what would be the biggest fight in British boxing history sparked outrage on both sides of the Irish Sea. Representatives of Fury and Kinahan have been approached for comment. The United States has also imposed sanctions on three companies identified as “Kinahan partners”, including the United Arab Emirates-based Hoopoe Sports, which lists five boxers as customers according to its website: Paddy Barnes, Jamie Conlan, Michael Conlan, Hughie Fury and Billy Joe Saunders. There is no suspicion of wrongdoing on the part of these fighters, who may, however, be forced to sever ties with Hoopoe as a result of sanctions.
Q&A: What are Tyson Fury’s ties to Daniel Kinahan?
By Ben Ramsey
What has been announced?
The United States has imposed sanctions on the Kinahan Organized Crime Group (KOCG), which it said was a “major transnational criminal organization,” and its alleged leaders. Among them is Daniel Kinahan, who in recent years has become one of the most notorious and influential personalities in professional boxing. In a special press conference convened jointly by the United Kingdom, Ireland, the European Union and the United States to fight serious and organized crime, the latter also paid $ 5 million for information leading to the arrest. of Kinahan. In the past, he had categorically denied any wrongdoing.
What was Kinahan accused of?
Kinahan is the son of Christy ‘the Dapper Don’ Kinahan, the godfather of KOCG, a notorious Irish cartel that a 2020 court convicted of trafficking drugs and weapons around the world and committing “execution-type murders”. Kinahan Jnr has no criminal record, but in 2018, the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau told the Supreme Court that he was “managing and controlling” the group’s drug trafficking operations. He was also accused of ordering the killing of a gang opponent in a bloody vendetta allegedly behind 17 other killings, the most notorious during an 2016 ambush by AK-47 assailants disguised as members of the Emergency Response Unit. . He then moved to the United Arab Emirates.
What are his connections to boxing and Tyson Fury?
Kinahan has co-founded what has become one of the largest boxing management companies in the world. Originally called MGM, it changed its name to MTK Global in 2017 and severed all official ties with it. But Kinahan continued to recommend fighters to it, including Fury, whom he helped bring back after manic depression, overeating and drug and alcohol abuse that made the heavyweight almost reach 28th place. The extent of Kinahan’s involvement with Fury only emerged in 2020 when the latter announced to the world that “Dan” had entered into a two-race deal to face Anthony Joshua for the undisputed world heavyweight championship. Following a backlash, the Telegraph Sport revealed exclusively that Fury would no longer be represented by his adviser in the race negotiations, but continued to associate with Kinahan and they were photographed together in February.
What are the sporting consequences of all this?
Fury and other sports figures and leaders have been warned by police to sever all ties with Kinahan, with US banks and other companies banned from doing business with him. But if he does not prove to be making money from boxing, it will be difficult to prevent the fighters from continuing to associate with him. He has become an incredibly influential and seemingly popular figure in a sport that is not unknown to the mob.
