Episode 381: The largest cocaine seizure in the history of the Irish state and those behind it

When elite Spanish cops bust through the doors of Christy Kinahan’s villa in 2010, his days as one of the Europe’s richest drug lords look numbered. Operation Shovel was set up to dismantle the Kinahan Cartel, who had spread their tentacles across Europe. But despite the publicity, the continent-wide policing operation failed to stop the Dapper Don’s slick cocaine trafficking mob. Christy Kinahan: The Dapper Don was originally released as a subscriber-only series in November 2025 on crimeworld.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Kinahan Cartel expands in power and reach, Christy Snr comes to garda attention when he splashes the cash in Ireland for his son’s wedding. With increased police attention focused on the Kinahan gang in the Netherlands, the Irish mob relocate to the Costa Del Sol where they openly live the high life in Marbella. Christy Kinahan: The Dapper Don was originally released as a subscriber-only series in November 2025 on crimeworld.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the explosion of ecstasy and rave culture in the 90s, Kinahan and Cunningham relocated their trafficking operation to Amsterdam. However, their multi-million euro smuggling operation attracted the attention of Dutch police, who launched a major surveillance operation. Christy Snr now starts to rely on a crew of young and volatile criminals recruited by his son Daniel. Christy Kinahan: The Dapper Don was originally released as a subscriber-only series in November 2025 on crimeworld.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raised in a middle-class family home in Cabra, as a young man Christy Kinahan showed little signs that he would become one of the world's most infamous crime bosses. But when the heroin epidemic struck Dublin, Kinahan was one of a new breed of criminal who saw an opportunity to get rich.  While serving Portlaoise Prison, he struck up a friendship with veteran armed robber John Cunningham and plotted the birth of a cartel. Christy Kinahan: The Dapper Don was originally released as a subscriber-only series in November 2025 on crimeworld.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's called the Dapper Don and has lived up to his name as an international panama hat wearing sophisticat of the underworld. This week in a special six-part series, Crime World traces the life and crimes of Chris Kinahan - the founder and head of the Kinahan Cartel. Nicola talks with Niall Donald about the series and about what could be next for the Dapper Don. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.