Following the arrest of suspected cartel kingpin Daniel Kinahan in Dubai, speculation has swirled over who will replace him at the top of the notorious Irish crime family.
Former boxing promoter Daniel, 49, has been accused of heading up the Kinahan cartel after taking over operations from his father Christy in the early 2010s. He now sits in a Dubai cell awaiting extradition to his native Ireland.
While the inner workings of the Kinahan leadership structure is closely guarded, one name has emerged as the front runner to become the new boss – Ian Dixon.
According to the Times, a senior intelligence source revealed: “Dixon could be the man who Christy (Daniel Kinahan’s father and the suspcted founder of the so-called Kinahan cartel) might trust to oversee the entire operation. He’s a blood relative. He’s smart and he deeply understands the finances but he wouldn’t have the contacts Christy has.
“It is impossible to say exactly what’s going to happen, but this cartel is a global operation. The arrest[s] . . . won’t automatically lead to its demise. It’s a massive operation built to last.”
According to an investigation by The Times and Bellingcat, suspected cartel lieutenant Dixon is allegedly seen as a safe pair of hands who is not only loyal to the family but has first hand experience of the group’s finances.
Dixon, whose exact age is not known but is believed to be in his mid-to-late thirties, is already wanted by US officials, who believe that he is the financial mastermind behind the billion dollar operation.
According to the US Treasury Department, Dixon has been “designated for materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to . . . Daniel Kinahan . . . as well as mov[ing] bulk currency” on behalf on the cartel.
Dixon is also described by US officials as “oversee[ing] a fund” on behalf of the crime group and “keep[ing] track of money owed by a narcotics trafficker”.
Dixon has long been one of Europe’s most wanted fugitives, as well as being the target of sanction in the US, however the Irish national has remained elusive.
A cousin and close confidant of Daniel, Dixon reportedly spent much of his early life living with Christy Kinahan and his sons, especially after the family moved from Ireland to Spain in the late 90s.
Dixon, reportedly a keen and talented sportsman, worked as a trainer for his cousin Daniel’s boxing group MTK Global, originally called MGM Marbella, which has gone on to represent the likes of Tyson Fury and Billy Joe Saunders.
In 2016, Dixon reportedly made the switch from Spain to Dubai along with the bulk of the Kinahan family, including Daniel and Christy, where he is believed to have been based since.
The former boxing trainer has kept a low profile since making the switch to the Emirati state, although a recent investigation found footage of Dixon playing the racket sport padel and even entering tournaments during his time there.
Playing under the name Ian Thomas, Dixon was tracked by the Times and Bellingcat competing in amateur tournaments at luxury clubs. In December 2024 he even reached the final of the Asia Pacific Padel Tour Masters event, collecting a runners-up medal after four matches over the weekend.
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