One of the world’s most wanted drug bosses has posted hundreds of restaurant and hotel reviews on Google in recent years, including of a banquet hall in Wuustwezel, Antwerp. However, the US is offering a large reward for any tip that leads to the arrest of ‘the Dapper Don’ and his 2 sons. Together worth 15 million dollars.
The Wuustwezel party hall Efsane – according to the operators “the most beautiful party hall in Belgium and the Netherlands” – received three stars on Google two years ago from one Christopher Vincent. A hotel in Breda, just across the border, received the same score around that time: “a special mention for Barbra,” he explains his score this time, “because she was extremely helpful, efficient and professional.”
Probably partly because ‘Barbra’ had no idea that her hotel guest is the ruthless and internationally wanted boss of an Irish drug cartel. Because the busy review-writing Christopher Vincent appears, according to the research collective Bellingcat and The Sunday Times to be none other than Christopher Vincent Kinahan (67), an Irish drug lord, who has been wanted internationally for several years, together with his two sons.
Nice life
The trio is suspected of having earned approximately 1 billion euros in recent years from the drug trade, but also from arms trafficking and money laundering. It is alleged that he collaborated with equally cruel drug bosses such as the Dutch Ridouan Taghi, now locked up for life in a Dutch prison.
But just as our ‘Fat Nordin’ was high, dry and safe in Dubai for years, Kinahan has also been hiding in what is increasingly known as the United Arab gangster Emirates. Despite continued pressure from Ireland and the US on the Emirati government to extradite Kinahan – who is said to have ordered at least twenty murders – he is living a leisurely life there these days, as evidenced by many reviews of restaurants, shops and hotels there.
READ ALSO. After ‘Fat Nordin’, these four drug criminals are on Minister Van Tigchelt’s wish list to bring back
The Bellingcat researchers are very sure of their case. Google reviewer ‘Christopher Vincent’ regularly posted photos with his reviews – since 2019 he has posted around two hundred reviews. In some photos his reflection can be seen in a window. He also used an email address that appears in American court documents requesting his extradition. They wonder how it is possible that a well-known drug lord can apparently travel around the world without any problems.
What they do notice is that there are no reviews for locations outside the borders of the United Arab Emirates since April 2022. This coincides with the US decision to declare Kinahan and his two sons internationally and place a reward totaling 15 million euros on their heads.
Begijnenstraat
Christopher Kinahan Vincent is also no stranger to Belgian investigators. About fifteen years ago – he was not yet internationally known – he is said to have lived for a while in a loft on the Antwerp Grote Markt and even ended up in the Antwerp Beguinage State for a while due to money laundering practices. It is that he did not write any reviews at the time, or the Antwerp court would undoubtedly have had to give it zero stars. “This is not a lawsuit,” he shouted angrily at the judges, “this looks like a speed date.” After all, his lawyer was only given half an hour to argue his case.
Tags: Wanted Irish gangster boss writing Google reviews years party hall Wuustwezel
