International Kinahan Cartel with Alleged South African Operations Exposed

Emerging facts suggest an international organised crime group of Irish origin, referred to as the Kinahan cartel, may be operating in South Africa. Discussions in an Irish court case from February this year reveals that sisters of an alleged senior Kinahan cartel member, despite a lack of financial resources, had embarked on several international trips, including to South Africa.

The alleged cartel's operations in South Africa involve gold and illicit tobacco dealing, along with cocaine trafficking, according to a reliable source. Curiously, South African authorities have not publicly acknowledged the cartel's activity in the country, although other information signals an extension of the cartel's operations into South Africa.

A global crackdown on a "super cartel" by European police last year touched on Durban, a hub for global traffickers. Following the crackdown, South African authorities intercepted two substantial shipments of cocaine, one at the Port of Durban and another at King Shaka International Airport. The cartel is also suspected of owning properties in South Africa among other overseas locations, further underlining its international footprint.

The group shot to notoriety in 2016 following a feud with rivals, resulting in a blazing attack in a Dublin hotel during the weigh-in for an MTK Global boxing match. The MTK Global, a boxing and event promotions company with operations in Africa, shut down in 2022 following US government sanctions against Daniel Kinahan, the crime lord believed to be at the helm of the Kinahan cartel.