Kinahan cartel on alert as major drug lord arrested in Abu Dhabi
International drug lord Dritan Gjika has been arrested in Abu Dhabi – a move likely to shake up the Kinahan cartel as the UAE moves away from being the safe haven for criminals it once was.
The Albanian cocaine trafficker, considered to be one of the leaders of drug trafficking worldwide, was arrested as part of Operation Pampa, Spanish police have said.
As part of the investigation, his Albanian criminal organisation, based in Ecuador, was dismantled.
Dritan Gjika
News in 90 Seconds - Monday June 23
40 people were arrested in Spain and Ecuador during 62 searches connected to the operation
More than €500,000, $2.3 million, as well as weapons and 12 high-end vehicles, were also seized.
Eight members of the gang were convicted in January for money laundering.
Dritan Gijka was on the run for 14 months, after vanishing from his home in Guayaquil, Ecuador where he ran his drug trafficking ring since 2009.
He went to the South American country on a temporary visitor's visa and stayed for 15 years.
He became one of the country's most wanted men for his involvement in shipping cocaine to Central America and Europe.
The 47-year-old was arrested in Abu Dhabi on May 26th.
He was the subject of two Interpol Red Notices for drug trafficking, money laundering and organised crime.
The Ministry for the Interior in Ecuador have said that his sophisticated network included a management team and logistics personnel.
They also say he used legitimate businesses to launder money and conceal his financial activities.
It's alleged that his network laundered money through companies in Spain and the UAE, InSightCrime has reported.
It has further been alleged that he received protection from the former head of Ecuador's police, while his business partner, Ruben Cherres, was a central figure in a corruption case involving the brother-in-law of former Ecuadorian president Guillermo Lasso.
Dritan Gjika is just the latest high-level international drug lord to be arrested in the United Arab Emirates.
Kinahan associates, and key figures in the so-called 'super cartel', Ridouan Taghi and Raffaele Imperiale, were both arrested in the United Arab Emirates and extradited to face serious charges in the Netherlands and Italy.
Daniel Kinahan
Meanwhile, Balkan mob boss Edin Gačanin was arrested in Dubai in March. He is facing extradition to the Netherlands to serve a seven-year jail term handed down in absentia.
Last month, Daniel Kinahan's right-hand man Sean McGovern was extradited to Ireland to face murder charges after being arrested in Dubai in October 2024.
It came days before the Middle Eastern country signed an extradition and mutual legal assistance treaty with Ireland.
Upon his return to Dublin, McGovern appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with the murder of Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan, who was shot dead in Clondalkin in December 2016.
He was also charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation in relation to the murder from October 20th to December 22nd, 2016.
He is the most senior member of the cartel to be charged before the Irish courts.
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The Irish Sun
13 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
My son had the dream life in Spain – then a phone call changed everything, I may never get the answers I need
A YEAR ago, Sandra Adams received a call that will haunt her for the rest of her life. She was on her way home from work on 22 July last year and she says at that moment her old life ended. 7 Breet Dryden was found dead in his home in Spain Credit: Supplied 7 Heartrboken mum Sandra Adams believes that her son was killed Credit: Supplied She was told that her only son Brett Dryden, had been found dead at his home in While Sandra says that at times the She is driven by a burning sense of injustice, because she believes Brett seemingly had the Read More on Real Lives They had a daughter. The relationship didn't work out and the couple split but Brett stayed in Spain to build his business and remained a doting father. He lived in the laid-back Spanish seaside town of Sandra, from Chester-Le-Street, says: 'When he moved, I was devastated but it was his choice. 'He had an amazing life there. He loved it. He had loads of friends and said he would never move back.' Most read in Fabulous But that dream life ended on July 22 last year, the day Sandra received a call from one of Brett's friends in Spain who had found his body in his villa. 'I couldn't believe what I was hearing,' she says. Tributes Pour In for Father-of-Three Who Tragically Died in Benidorm 'My world caved in, I was in utter disbelief and I'm still in shock today.' In a daze, Sandra, a carer, 56, and her husband and Brett's stepdad Rob flew to Spain that day. One of the friends who found Brett claimed he'd overheard the Spanish police known as the Guardia Civil saying they believed Brett had been struck in the head with an axe. However, the friends had been allowed to walk through the villa several times, which was potentially a murder scene. A post-mortem was performed the following day. It concluded Brett died of a pulmonary embolism, caused by a blood clot in his lungs. The case was closed. 'They said it was a terrible accident. He fell and banged his head,' Sandra explains. She was immediately sceptical. Rob had taken photos and video of blood stains in several locations around the property. Her suspicions were further raised when she went to see her son's body. 7 Brett moved to Spain with his daughter and partner but when they returned to England he decided to stay put Credit: Supplied 7 Initially Brett's death was ruled as accidental but his parents don't believe this is the case Credit: Supplied 7 'He was in the chapel of rest, and there was a huge wound in the side of his head,' she recalls. 'I knew in my gut that something was not right. He had other visible injuries. To me it looked like there had been a struggle.' The family have only recently been given details of what was contained in the full Spanish autopsy report. They hired a Spanish lawyer who gained access to official documents in the case. According to him, the autopsy report detailed injuries to Brett's legs, arms, head and neck and fingernail marks, cuts and bruises on his face. There were nail wounds to his lips and neck. There was also a four-centimetre wound to his head and bruising to his ear, eye and skull on his left side. Pathologists found internal bleeding to the right side of his head and 'intense encephalic congestion' - an injury resulting in the brain's blood vessels becoming swollen and congested. The report also reveals police had admitted to pathologists that Brett had been the victim of a home invasion. I just don't understand how we're nearly a year on and no further forward Sandra Adams The report stated: 'During the examination signs of a struggle were observed on the body such as droplets of blood in various locations on the body.' Despite all this the autopsy also said there was cocaine in Brett's system and concluded this was what triggered the pulmonary embolism and within a day of the original postmortem the case was closed. Still raw and in shock at their loss, Sandra and Rob did their own digging. They discovered several of Brett's personal belongings were missing including his mobile phone, his wallet and his designer sunglasses. In the days after his death Sandra used Brett's MacBook to track the missing iPhone which was still being used and pinged at several locations in the nearby town of Vera. She showed the police. Four days after Brett's death, with so many unanswered questions, a local court ordered the police to reopen the case and treat it as a homicide investigation. Sandra believes cops were hoping to sweep the death under the carpet to protect the reputation of the area, which relies on tourism. 'If they could have covered it up, they would have done,' claims Sandra. In addition to the phone location, the Adams also discovered potential CCTV evidence after Rob knocked on neighbours' doors looking for video footage. Sandra explains: 'One neighbour confirmed they had footage but under Spanish law they're not allowed to give the CCTV footage to anybody but the police, who now have the footage. 'We haven't seen it but our lawyer has seen reference to it in the police reports, which he says clearly shows two people leaving Brett's villa the day he died. 'He says the people were carrying what appeared to be the same type of bag Brett used to carry the takings from his club. 'What's more, the manager of Brett's club also told police that he was on the phone to Brett before he died and that Brett cut the conversation short with the words: 'I've got to go, they're here.'' Where to seek grief support Need professional help with grief? Child Bereavement UK Cruse Bereavement Relate The Good Grief Trust You can also always speak to your GP if you're struggling. You're Not Alone Check out these books, podcasts and apps that all expertly navigate grief… Griefcast: Cariad Lloyd interviews comedians on this award-winning podcast. The Madness Of Grief by Rev Richard Coles (£9.99, W&N): The Strictly fave writes movingly on losing his husband David to alcoholism. Terrible, Thanks For Asking: Podcast host Nora McInerny encourages non-celebs to share how they're really feeling. Good Mourning by Sally Douglas and Imogen Carn (£14.99, Murdoch Books): A guide for people who've suffered sudden loss, like the authors who both lost their mums. Grief Works: Download this for daily meditations and expert tips. How To Grieve Like A Champ by Lianna Champ (£3.99, Red Door Press): A book for improving your relationship with death. Sandra now believes that people who knew Brett tried to rob him, and that he fought back and was killed. 'He was only a little chap,' she says. 'He was five foot five and a half. But I know he wouldn't have let anybody come into his house and not defended himself. 'I just don't understand how we're nearly a year on and no further forward.' After Brett's body was repatriated, UK authorities held their own autopsy. The results have yet to be released. 'When we get those details, we can compare them with the Spanish postmortem report,' says Sandra. 'If I didn't have this to fight for, I don't think I'd be was my only son. 'When I had him, I wasn't with his dad, so it was me and him until I met Rob. 'He was a great boy. He was always smiling. He had a really good heart. He was happy-go-lucky and he would help anybody if he could.' Sandra says Brett's daughter is struggling to cope with the loss. 'She's a really brave little girl,' says Sandra. I would hate for anybody to go through what we're going through. It's hell on earth every single day Sandra Adams 'She talks about her daddy openly, but she talks about him as if he is still here. She misses him terribly because they were really close.' And when Sandra was diagnosed with early-stage womb cancer in 2023 and needed a hysterectomy, Brett was there to support his doting mum. On the anniversary of his death the family will fly out to Spain to remember him. Brett's daughter, his sister, Shannon and his aunt and his nieces and nephews will be there. 'I am going to lay flowers up at the villa,' says Sandra. ''We will go to Zeppelin Bar where he spent most of his nights with his friends and where I'm going to raise a glass to him. 'I'm going to make it a celebration of his life. I'm not dreading it because I feel close to him out there. I feel at peace there.' But until she's satisfied that she knows what happened, Sandra remains in limbo. The family have set up a Go Fund Me page to help with their legal costs. 'I want justice, I want to know what happened and I want the police to take accountability for the mess they made of it because they clearly tried to cover it up in the beginning,' she says. 'I'm going to keep talking about it and keep looking for answers because I need to keep the case out there, and to let the authorities, and whoever did it, know that I'm not going away.' A court spokesman previously said of the case: 'The investigation hasn't been suspended or closed. It is still open, and this incident remains under investigation. "The court is waiting for the Guardia Civil to complete their full report and present their conclusions. For the time being there's nothing more we can say.' The Sun reached out to the Guardia Civil for comment. 'I'm hoping that they do find who did this,' says Sandra. 'I would hate for anybody to go through what we're going through. It's hell on earth every single day. 'He was my only son. I don't think I'll ever come to terms with it. I think I'll cry every day for his loss. I navigate through my grief. I'm doing the best I can. He deserves justice.' 7 Sandra says getting to the truth of what happened is what keeps her going Credit: Supplied 7 Brett lived in Mojacar, Spain Credit: Alamy
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Hols hotspot airport employee arrested for stealing luxury watch and diamond bracelet worth £18,000 from tourist's bag
AN AIRPORT employee at a holiday hotspot was arrested for stealing a luxury watch and diamond bracelet worth £18,000 from a tourist's bag. Spanish police at Palma airport arrested the staff member after he attempted to rob the Advertisement 3 Police arrested a Palma airport employee for stealing a high-end watch and a diamond bracelet Credit: National Police 3 The theft unfolded at Palma de Mallorca Airport, Spain Credit: Getty The high-end watch and bracelet were taken after the visitor left his bag unattended at the The He mistakenly left his bag alone when returning a rental vehicle at one of the booths inside the airport. The backpack contained the luxury jewellery worth tens of thousands of pounds as well as other personal Advertisement READ MORE WORLD NEWS After realising he had left his bag behind, the backpacker immediately rushed back to pick up his belongings. To his horror , he realised his expensive possessions were missing after checking inside the bag. He rushed to police and filed a Son Sant Joan officers launched a probe into the alleged theft. Advertisement Most read in The Sun And they discovered that one of the employees of the rental car cleaning company was the alleged thief. They then arrested him and later managed to return the stolen goods to their rightful owner. Spain holiday airport to FINALLY clear out crime-riddled homeless camp after tourists forced to dodge drugs and bedbugs National Police took the opportunity to remind tourists that they should always be " attentive to the belongings we carry, especially in areas with large crowds or when accessing public transport or picking up or returning a vehicle in the parking lot". They also issued a stark warning to staff members at the airport in Palma, Spain. Advertisement Cops said staff should always "hand over any belongings we find to the municipal services". If employees failed to do this they would face "criminal and disciplinary liability". They also said staff should always "issue a document justifying said delivery" of each lost and found item. This "makes it easier for the affected person to locate their belongings". Advertisement In October of last year, a tourist who left his The holidaymaker was duped into giving an international crime gang the keys to his silver C220 AMG Mercedes at Manchester Airport. And in February, a former flight attendant put out a Barbara Bacilleri, 31, shared sneaky tips for passengers who are keen to protect their luggage from onboard bandits. Advertisement 3 Palma de Mallorca airport at night on the Balearic island of Mallorca in Spain. Credit: Getty
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Kneecap in the clear as British police drop Glastonbury Festival ‘riot' probe
The investigation was announced in June after officers reviewed video footage and audio recordings A criminal investigation into the performance of Belfast rap trio Kneecap at Glastonbury Festival has been dropped by police. Avon and Somerset Police said it will be taking 'no further action' on the grounds that there is 'insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence'. The investigation was announced in June after officers reviewed video footage and audio recordings from the sets of Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan at the Somerset festival. Yesterday, the group, comprised of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, posted a screenshot to social media from an email that appeared to be from a senior investigating officer. One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over It said: 'Following a review of the evidence, I have determined there will be no further action.' In the caption of their post, Kneecap said: 'One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over. 'We played a historic set at Glastonbury. Whole area closed an hour before due to crowds. A celebration of love and solidarity. A sea of good people at the world's most famous festival.' Mo Chara, DJ Provaí and Móglaí Bap of Kneecap performs on the West Holts Stage during during day four of Glastonbury Festival. Avon and Somerset Police said: 'An investigation has been carried out into comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap's performance at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, June 28. Kneecap at Glastonbury. Photo: PA Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 19th 'Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service during their enquiries and after that advice, we have made the decision to take no further action on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence. 'Kneecap was informed of that decision earlier today [Friday July 18]. 'Inquiries continue to be carried out in relation to separate comments made on stage during Bob Vylan's performance.' Bob Vylan performing on the West Holts Stage during the Glastonbury Festival (Yui Mok/PA) During Bob Vylan's performance, rapper Bobby Vylan chanted 'Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]', while a member of Kneecap suggested fans 'start a riot' outside his bandmate's upcoming court appearance, before clarifying: 'No riots, just love and support.' Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the outcome of the investigation is 'another example of two-tier justice', and added that the 'start a riot' comment was 'clearly inciting violence'. Kneecap have been in the headlines after Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence relating to allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah. In May, the Metropolitan Police said the group were being investigated by counter-terrorism police after videos emerged allegedly showing them shouting 'Up Hamas, up Hezbollah' and 'Kill your local MP'. The group apologised to the families of murdered MPs and said they have 'never supported' Hamas or Hezbollah, which are banned in the UK. Kneecap are known for their provocative lyrics and merchandise as well as their championing of the Irish language and pro-Palestinian stance. Earlier in the week. they announced new tour dates to play their 'biggest run of shows ever' across Scotland, Wales and England.
