The leaders of the Kinahan crime cartel are still holding up in Dubai, Gardai believe.
Danial Kinahan , Christy Kinahan, and Christy Kinahan Jnr along with a number of lieutenants are moving from house to house for fear of being captured.
It's believed they have not fled to Asia or Latin America and were spotted by international law enforcement officers on the ground in recent weeks.
It is understood they are being protected by armed former Russian army intelligence officers who they hired to keep them safe.
Gardai now have a "liaison officer" on the ground in Dubai who is working with other EU states and the Americans to bring the Kinahans to justice.
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The pressure on the cartel which supplies a third of the cocaine across Europe has increased in recent weeks since the United Arab Emirates signed a cooperation liaison agreement last September with Interpol to stop Dubai being used as a bolthole. for international criminals and Russian oligarchs fleeing sanctions.
The arrest in recent weeks and months of five super-cartel leaders in Dubai associated with the Kinahans has also spooked the Irish drug lord family.
A senior Garda source said: " Despite all that has been speculated, the Kinahans are still in Dubai and were seen there in recent weeks.
"They have been moving between various houses and apartments in case the authorities try to move against them.
"They are still running their drugs business from there and really have nowhere else to go at the moment.
"They can't fly on international commercial airlines or they will be arrested straight away so the only way they can move around is by private planes, sea or land. They are being watched like hawks and are cornered rats."
The Americans currently have a five million dollar bounty for any information leading to the arrest of each of the three Kinahans. The US Drug Enforcement Agency also has officers on the ground in Dubai assisting in the fight to nab them.
Since Dubai signed the deal with Interpol and promised to clean up the popular tourist destination, many criminals have been fleeing the United Arab Emirates for Turkey.
Ireland has in the past successfully extradited a number of wanted criminals from Turkey.
The Garda source added: " The Kinahans may try to flee to Turkey but we have good relations there. They are fast running out of places to hide and one way or the other their days of freedom are coming to an end.
"If we don't get them another police force will. The Americans would love to put them on trial in the United States. It is only a matter of time before they face justice."
A total of 68 members of the Kinahan organised crime group have been convicted since the war against the cartel by Gardai and international police forces began
