Barry McGuigan speaks of ‘element of fear’ over alleged Irish crime boss Kinahan in BBC Panorama programme

Barry McGuigan has spoken of the fear surrounding alleged Irish organised crime boss Daniel Kinahan in the world of boxing for a BBC Panorama investigation.

he programme, Boxing and the Mob, claims that Mr Kinahan is still involved and working at the top in the sport and will be broadcast on BBC One on Monday at 9pm.

The Dublin man has been named in the Republic’s courts as the head of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group – one of Europe’s most brutal drug cartels.

The suspected gangster helped set up a boxing management business that now looks after almost 250 boxers around the world.

MTK Global announced in 2017 that Mr Kinahan had cut ties with the company and in 2020 it was announced that he was stepping back from boxing altogether.

But the company has now confirmed to Panorama that the Irish ex-pat still advises some of its boxers.

Lawyers for MTK Global told the programme: “It is true that Mr Kinahan provides some personal advice to a number of boxers managed by MTK Global and we are instructed that Mr Kinahan also provides such advisory services to boxers who are managed by other worldwide boxing management companies too.”

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Barry McGuigan is to appear on BBC Panorama programme on Monday about Daniel Kinahan

Barry McGuigan is to appear on BBC Panorama programme on Monday about Daniel Kinahan

They said Mr Kinahan had never owned, controlled or been an employee of MTK Global.

Panorama spoke to numerous UK boxing insiders who were alarmed about Daniel Kinahan’s power and influence in the sport.

All of them were too frightened to appear on camera, apart from former world champion Barry McGuigan.

Mr McGuigan, who is now a boxing manager, told the programme that there was an element of terror around the Kinahan name.

“If we were to believe what we believe, this is a very dangerous man,” he said.

“Someone has got to look out for this sport. They really need to look at this situation very carefully, because it’s bloody dangerous.”

The Irish courts have accepted that the Kinahan Organised Crime Group is involved in drug trafficking, money laundering and gangland executions.

Mr Kinahan moved to Dubai in 2016 and the police believe the Kinahan family is now running the drug cartel from there.

Panorama understands the Irish authorities are going to try to get Kinahan cartel members deported.

John O Driscoll, an Assistant Commissioner of the Irish police, told the programme they had been successful in identifying members of the cartel, although he declined to confirm any names.

He said: “I think it is reasonable to assume that we will achieve our ultimate objective, which is to put the Kinahan Organised Crime Group out of business and to bring the hierarchy of the crime group before the courts.”

More than 30 people linked to the Kinahan cartel have already been jailed in Ireland.

Panorama said it understands the American Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) may also be investigating the gang.

The DEA told the programme it was not able to comment on the activities of the Kinahan cartel because it is part of an ongoing investigation.

Mr Kinahan’s involvement in world boxing caused an outcry last June, when it emerged that he had been working as a personal adviser to world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

The boxer had posted a twitter video in which he thanked the alleged crime boss for arranging his much anticipated title fight with fellow British heavyweight Anthony Joshua.

Mr Kinahan’s role in boxing was raised in both the British and Irish parliaments, but the criticism died down when it was announced he was stepping away from the sport.

Panorama says its investigation shows that never happened. The programme asked Tyson Fury whether Daniel Kinahan was still his personal adviser, but he didn’t respond.

Mr Kinahan’s lawyers said he has no criminal convictions and that the wild allegations about him running a violent cartel are false and have no evidential basis whatsoever.

“He is proud of his record in boxing to date. He has operated on the basis of honesty and with a commitment to putting fighters’ needs first,” they said.

“Mr Kinahan is a successful and independent advisor in the boxing industry in his own right. It is a matter of public record that he has exited the business of MTK.”