Gardai will appoint a senior liaison officer to the capital of the United Arab Emirates as they continue their pursuit of the leading members of the Kinahan cartel.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee received Government approval for the expansion of the Garda Liaison Officer [GLO] Network following a request from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
And now a top cop will be based in Abu Dhabi with responsibility for the Middle East region.
Mob boss Daniel Kinahan has been in Dubai since 2016, while his father Christy Senior and brother Christy Jnr are also based in the region.
It is the latest move in the global crackdown against the cartel, which saw US sanctions imposed on them in early April before the UAE seized their assets there.
Minister Helen 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 Siochana 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.
“And given the increasingly transnational nature of organised crime and terrorism, the Garda Liaison Officer Network plays an important role in realising An Garda Siochana's commitment to tackle these twin issues.
"They engage with local and regional law enforcement agencies regarding the activities and movement of Irish nationals or people linked to Ireland who An Garda Siochana, and potentially their colleague police services, have an interest in.
“The new GLOs will be crucial in assisting An Garda Síochána in pursuing criminals who spread misery here in Ireland, as well as abroad.”
A second appointment which will be made is for another senior garda to be based in Bangkok, Thailand while there will now be a second position created for a liaison officer in Washington, US.
GLO positions are currently situated in Madrid, Paris, London, The Hague, Washington DC and Bogota.
Garda members at the rank of Sergeant, Inspector and Superintendent have been assigned to these positions in the Irish embassies as part of the Irish diplomatic mission in those countries.
There will also be the temporary assignment of two Garda members to assist the French National Police and Gendarmerie during July and August 2022.
Minister McEntee added: “This is the second expansion of the Network in the past two years following the creation of the Washington and Bogota posts in 2020. These expansions follow a review of the Network which recommended the creation of five new regional GLO posts.
"These new positions will be important for enhancing the security of the state and strengthening An Garda Síochána’s relationships with police services overseas.
“The deployment of Garda Liaison Officers to date has proven to be an effective and practical form of interagency cooperation between police services and has supported the exchange of information and the coordination of operations across borders.
“This expansion will see the Network break new ground by expanding into the Middle-East and South-East Asia/Australasia while also supplementing the existing operations in North America and Europe.”
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