The Government is to bring in a new jail sentence which will help put the leaders of the Kinahan mob behind bars for life.
Gang boss Daniel Kinahan and his father Christy are now based in Dubai where they have tried to reinvent themselves as legitimate businessmen despite being the biggest smugglers of cocaine into this country.
But in the first move before gardai seek to arrest and extradite the ruthless father and son, the Cabinet will reform sentencing for conspiracy to murder from a maximum 10 years to life.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: “It is my intention in the forthcoming Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill to raise the maximum sentence for conspiracy to murder.
“The Government is committed to ensuring Ireland is a safe and secure place for all.
“An Garda Siochana has made important progress in suppressing the threat of organised crime and there has been significant successes achieved through intelligence-led operations. There will be no let-up in the pressure being brought to bear on those involved in organised crime.”
Kinahan’s bloody feud with the Huch gang has left 18 people dead with the majority of the killings carried out by the Kinahan gunmen.
A number of people have been convicted of murder and others are still awaiting trial. More than 60 people were arrested. However, gardai and the Government believe the best way to convict the Kinahan cartel leaders is on a conspiracy to murder.
A Garda source said: “This new sentence is the first big move against Daniel and Christy Kinahan. We will move to arrest and extradite them when we are ready.
“When the United Arab Emirates look at the case against them, they won’t want to be seen protecting them.”
The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, is leading the war against the drugs gangs. Mrs McEntee added: “The GNDOCB engages in two joint investigations teams with international partners as well as parallel investigations [into] criminal organisations impacting on this jurisdiction.
“The current network of Garda liaison officers and foreign law enforcement liaison officers further extends our outreach to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute organised crime gangs internationally.
“In 2021 the Garda liaison network was expanded to include a GLO permanently based in Columbia with responsibility to cover the southern Americas.”
She said this year gardai planned to maximise the prospect of identifying criminal organisations and their activities in the state via data analysis.
Minister McEntee believes this will result in an increased opportunity to seize drugs, criminally acquired assets, and initiate criminal proceedings.
Since July 21 last year the gardai have been engaged nationwide in Operation Tara to disrupt all drug trafficking and drug dealing on the streets.
Last year the GNDOCB seized €63.6 million in drugs and as well as cash totalling €5.6million euros and £38,751.
