World champion Scottish boxer Josh Taylor has deleted a social media post praising the alleged boss of an international drug cartel after a £3.8m bounty was issued for his arrest.
Daniel Kinahan is wanted by US authorities for allegedly sourcing large quantities of cocaine from South America, playing “an integral part” in organizing the supply of drugs in Ireland, and attempting to facilitate the import of cocaine into the UK.
In a statement published on social media following accusations that Mr Kinahan is the leader of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group last year, Taylor said his advisor had “done nothing but good things for me in my life”.
“So hard not to go into depth about it all but I can honestly say hand on heart Daniel has and will continue to do nothing but good for the sport of boxing,” Taylor wrote.
STV NewsMr Kinahan has previously worked as an advisor to boxer Tyson Fury and is well-known in the industry as the co-founder of an agency that represents several top fighters. He is reported to have cut ties with MTK Global in 2017.
On Tuesday, the boss of a Scottish drinks company was named as part of a five million dollar appeal for information on the Irish Kinahan crime gang for the arrest and conviction of its leaders.
John Francis Morrissey, the owner of Glasgow-based Nero Drinks – a vodka company he runs through his wife – was named alongside Daniel Kinahan in a lengthy statement from the US Department of Treasury.
In a since-deleted tweet, Taylor wrote of Kinahan: “He’s a great advisor and doing great things for the sport.
“I would never have had the deal with With (sic) Top Rank if it wasn’t for Daniel and he is also working on the best deal possible for the biggest fight of my life.
“I’ve had nothing but great experiences with him.”
In a statement, the US treasury office said the Kinahan crime gang emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s as the most “powerful organised crime group” operating in Ireland.
Since then, Irish courts have said that the Kinahan gang is a “murderous organisation” involved in the international trafficking of drugs and firearms.
The Kinahans are said to also frequently use Dubai as a facilitation hub for its “illicit activities”.
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