The gourmet gangster: How world’s most elusive drugs baron Christy Kinahan is swanning around Dubai without a care in the world under the alias ‘Mr Vincent’… and leaving Google reviews of his favourite restaurants

He is the feared kingpin whose ruthless family cartel is linked to global drug and arms trafficking, with a $5 million bounty on his head.

Even though Christy Kinahan is one of the world’s most elusive fugitives, she did something surprisingly mundane while hiding in plain sight in Dubai: posting Google reviews and travel information.

The 68-year-old ‘Dapper Don’, known for his distinctive white Panama hat, rated restaurants, hotels and even government offices online as he roamed freely around the Gulf state.

Using the pseudonym Christopher Vincent, Kinahan brazenly posted hundreds of reviews and ratings, uploaded more than 1,000 photos, and created a detailed digital footprint that offers an extraordinary glimpse into the life of one of the world’s most wanted men.

The British-born Dubliner rated luxury hotels, rooftop bars and high-end restaurants, a Dubai Rolex store and even covered sport fishing in the Gulf – all while international police were at the center of the manhunt.

In March 2023, a review attributed to ‘Christopher Vincent’ was published for Cycle Bistro in the upscale Jumeirah area.

The reviewer praised the staff as ‘pleasant and helpful’, gave the place five stars and promised to ‘definitely be back’, detailing an order for the acai bowl, eggs with almond bread and a green salad.

He did so; Two months later, Kinahan and his wanted son, Christopher Jnr, 45, were seen dining there together in a photo shared on the restaurant’s social media accounts.

Elusive drug lord Kinahan, one of the world’s most wanted men, moved to the tax haven of Dubai a few years ago when he felt his life was in danger while living in Spain.

Despite being one of the world’s most wanted men, Kinahan wanders around Dubai seemingly without a care in the world and uses the pseudonym ‘Chris Vincent’ to leave comments on Google

Kinahan’s powerful drug cartel leader Christy and his two sons, Daniel and Christopher Kinahan, will receive rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to their arrest.

Kinahan, the godfather of a deadly family PLC worth a staggering $1.5bn, has reviewed pubs, Covid testing centers and even Waitrose; His profile reached Google’s Level 7 reviewer status and accumulated more than 10,000 points between 2019 and 2023.

The sartorial gangster praises well-prepared food, loves appetizer-style breakfasts, sea bass, quinoa, and ribeye steaks, and apparently doesn’t have much patience when kept waiting.

In a restaurant review, she wrote that she walked out before the food arrived due to the delay.

In another, Kinahan, who was born into a middle-class Irish family in Perivale, west London, appeared annoyed after a waiter called him “boss”.

“I explained that I don’t like being called boss and could you please call me ‘Chris, Mr Vincent or sir’?” he wrote.

‘The waiter chuckled and I didn’t think about anything else until I paid the bill (my friend was kind enough to pay the bill) and as I was about to leave the same waiter said “thanks boss!”

‘Apart from my sensitive temperament and experiencing my food this way [sic] All in all I rate this facility as four stars.’

Authorities allege that the Kinahan cartel controls a significant portion of the cocaine flowing into Europe and is accused of laundering money through Hezbollah terrorists.

Investigators believe the family worked with jihadists in Asia, helped both Russia and Iran evade sanctions by smuggling oil, and engaged in cybercrime.

The Kinahans crossed to the UAE in 2016, where there was no threat of extradition, after an attempt to kill Kinahan’s son Daniel in a Dublin hotel sparked gang violence that left 18 people dead.

Kinihan and his young Turkish wife, Neslihan Yıldırım, live in a comfortable apartment in the City Walk complex in the Al Wasl district, which is home to Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury shops.

‘Christopher Vincent’ described the area as ‘a great place to wander around, especially in the evening’.

He added: ‘There are so many restaurants to choose from. Family (child) friendly, comfortable, serene. ‘I unreservedly rate this area five stars, but it’s not cheap’.

And undoubtedly wanting to please his Emirati hosts, Kinahan even talked about updating his Emirati identity by visiting the Department of Economic Development at the Dubai Mall.

‘My only interaction with staff was with a security guard who was very helpful in guiding me to the machine and then advising me on its use. “Based on my experiences visiting this office, I rate this visit five stars,” he wrote in 2021.

The review comes as the Irish government uses diplomatic channels to pressure Dubai to take action against the Kinahans.

In another post – before US and Europol sanctions in 2022 effectively sent the firm into exile in the UAE – Don traveled to Fuengirola on Spain’s Costa del Sol in September 2021 and visited Restaurante Casa Roberto with ‘three guests’.

Daniel Kinahan has built a comfortable life for himself in Dubai. His wedding to former gangster moll Caoimhe Robinson took place under a huge chandelier in the ballroom of the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel, with guests including former heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.

Last June, Daniel, 48, and his father were seen sitting openly in white VIP seats in front of a crowd of 6,000 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, doing little to disguise themselves.

In a post from Zimbabwe, he said he was staying at Amanzi Lodge for a ‘business networking conference’.

In another, Kinahan described attending the Global Humanitarian Aviation Conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, where he praised the food, service and conference facilities.

‘I stayed for 3 days and although I didn’t use any of the pools I noticed there were families taking advantage of all the facilities and evening entertainment. ‘I thought the service was helpful and good as well as value for money,’ he wrote.

Although most of the images were apparently chosen to protect his identity, some photos taken on his Android phone appeared to inadvertently include his reflection.

After 2022, Kinahan’s Google activity has largely focused on the UAE rather than his previous globe-trotting travels.

In one post, he took her on a chartered fishing trip off Ras Al Khaimah and wrote: ‘Perfect trip with friends. ‘I caught a wagonload of fish.’

Another showed him at the five-star InterContinental Fujairah Resort, sharing sunrise photos taken from the beachfront property with his Huawei P30 Pro smartphone.

Despite Ireland and the UAE signing an extradition treaty in October 2024, the Kinahans have continued to present themselves publicly with striking aplomb.

Last June, Kinahan and Daniel, 48, were seen sitting openly in white VIP seats in front of a crowd of 6,000 at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, doing little to disguise themselves.

US documents previously listed Daniel’s address as Palm Jumeirah, the man-made island synonymous with opulent Gulf life.

His 2017 wedding to former gangster moll Caoimhe Robinson took place under a huge chandelier in the ballroom of the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel, with guests including former heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.

But the Daily Mail recently reveals that the Kinahans’ seemingly carefree existence in the Gulf may soon be under threat as the war in Iran puts new pressure on the emirate.

In fact, it appears that the Kinahanites obtained a safe repatriation option in Russia; here they allegedly helped the Kremlin evade sanctions and worked with Moscow’s intelligence services.

The Irish Independent reported that Kinahan and his two sons obtained Russian travel documents, including passports for themselves, their partners and their children, more than a year ago.

Intelligence reports from the UAE suggested that they would soon set out for Russia, but would back out at the eleventh hour.

‘Their plans were at an advanced stage and they were ready to pack up and go. “(UAE) officials had hoped they would leave, but they changed their minds at the last minute for unknown reasons,” a source said.

‘The only explanation for this was that Christy, who was going to negotiate the separation, was concerned that the progress of the war might cause them problems later on.

‘This means they have nowhere to run. They must be regretting that decision, as they spend their days worrying about Iranian missiles falling on them.’

A foreign security source in the UAE believes that the government has already begun to change its stance on hosting the Kinahans.

“Missile and drone attacks have reinforced the view that they need the United States here rather than Iran,” the source said.

‘So the Kinahans are becoming an embarrassment to the UAE… given their links to Hezbollah, and it’s all about image.

‘Their days are numbered, I believe that.’

The United Arab Emirates issued Christy Kinahan an identity card after she arrived in Dubai, rather than taking action against her. He now spends his time visiting restaurants and reviewing services online

Daniel Kinahan released a statement in 2021 denying his guilt.

‘I am not part of a criminal gang or any conspiracy. “I have no convictions,” he said. ‘I have devoted myself to my work in boxing for over 15 years. Today, I’m proud to say that I’ve helped organize more than a dozen major world championship fights.

‘I continue to be involved in the planning of many record-breaking and exciting world title fights.’

He added that his success in the boxing world ‘led to an increase in the campaign against me’.