Dubai police have offered to send a squad of detectives to Dublin – to help gardai snare the Kinahan cartel, it has emerged.
The Irish Mirror has learned that the head of the Dubai police force made the offer in a letter to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris – following his visit to the middle eastern state last week.
Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri has now offered to hammer out a special legal agreement between Ireland and Dubai – that would see some of his officers deployed to Dublin.
READ MORE: Dubai Police praise meeting with Garda boss as hopes grow of deporting Kinahans
Sources say the plan would see the Dubai detectives working with gardai from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau to build up a case against Daniel Kinahan (46) and other key leaders.
Lt-Gen Al-Marri made the offer in a letter to Commissioner Harris following his groundbreaking visit to Dubai last week – along with Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, who isi in charge of the force’s anti-gangland investigations,
That visit was part of the Garda’s strategy to dismantle the billion dollar drugs and murder gang led by Daniel Kinahan and persuade Dubai authorities to kick him and other bosses out of their desert bolthole – and sources now say the trip has had immediate results.
The offer, details of which have been confirmed by the Irish Mirror, would see a special bilateral agreement between the governments of Ireland and Dubai.
If agreed, it would mean Dubai officers coming here and working directly with gardai to take down the cartel.
As well as targeting Daniel Kinahan, the special investigation team would also go after other key cartel leaders, including his father Christy (66), his brother Christopher (43) – and Sean McGovern.
Dubliner McGovern is wanted for the Kinahan cartel murder in December 2016 of Gerry Hutch pal Noel Kirwan (62) in Clondalkin, west Dublin – and gardai have secured a European Arrest Warrant for him.
That warrant has no legal force in Dubai – but gardai want authorities there to boot him out and send him back to Dublin and sources say the latest offer of cooperation from authorities there is an indication they are prepared to do it.
But the Dubai Police have now gone even further than that – and are willing to send officers to Ireland.
Sources say gardai are keen to take them up on the offer – but governmental agreement has to be confirmed first.
The Irish Mirror learned of the Dubai Police offer shortly after embattled Commissioner Drew Harris – who was defiant this evening after the Garda Representative Association voted overwhelmingly against him in a no confidence ballot – made reference to his visit yesterday to his trip to the United Arab Emirates.
He declined to go into specifics - but did confirm there had been an exchange of letters following the visit.
And he also said that the cartel leadership was still in Dubai – despite rumours they had fled.
Speaking at the annual conference of the Association of Garda Superintendents in Naas, Co Kildare, Mr Harris said: “We had a very profitable visit to the police in Dubai.
“I met my opposite number in terms of the Lieutenant-General commander in Chief.
“We had a very fruitful exchange in terms of transnational organised crime, drug trafficking, but also other areas including financial crime, cyber crime, human trafficking, etcetera.
“What we want to do from now is then really develop that relationship.”
And he added: ““We have a focus on the Kinahan Organised Crime Gang.
“They are still based in Dubai and we want to work with our colleagues in terms of the Dubai Police in terms of obtaining information, intelligence and evidence.
“As I say, we had a very positive engagement with Dubai Police.
“I am not going set out the next steps in the investigative strategy around the Kinahan cartel, we have had an exchange of letters and there is an understanding in terms of how we will now move forward.
“Very quickly we have been in further communication with each other and I want to build on that as well.
“The purpose of this is to manage this investigation by gaining as much information and evidence as possible.
“That’s our purpose and we are working very closely with the Dubai Police in that respect.”
Dubai Police hailed their meeting with Harris as "successful" in a statement issued last week.
Dubai Police say the meeting "discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the field of money laundering, cross border crime and cybercrime, and exchange experiences in many fields."
At the end of the meeting Lieutenant General Abdullah Al Marri presented Drew Harris with a memorial shield on the occasion of the visit, - which they said was "successful."
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