The United States has imposed sanctions on members of Ireland’s infamous Kinahan cartel, labelling them as “murderous” traffickers involved in cocaine, weapon, and gold smuggling. Intelligence officials and law enforcement agencies in South Africa have confirmed the presence of the Kinahan cartel in the country. The Kinahan cartel’s involvement in illegal gold and tobacco smuggling, as well as drug trafficking, including cocaine, has been reported. The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) has identified South Africa as a significant transit point for the trafficking of illicit gold and cocaine. The US Treasury Department has also stated that the Kinahan cartel frequently uses Dubai as a facilitation hub. The cartel’s leader, Christopher Vincent Kinahan Snr., has a history of criminal activities, including money laundering and drug trafficking. The Kinahans have been linked to a feud with the Hutch gang in Ireland, resulting in numerous homicides. While the Kinahan group’s activities in South Africa are not widely known, there are indications that they have links to illegal gold trading in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique. The Kinahan cartel owns properties worldwide, including in South Africa. The Irish Criminal Assets Bureau has seized assets linked to a senior member of the cartel, Ross Browning, in Ireland. Former South African police colonel and crime analyst Johan Burger believes it is likely that the Kinahan cartel utilizes South Africa due to its strategic location and reputation for corruption. South Africa’s ports, including Durban, are considered key hubs for cocaine smuggling. Law enforcement agencies in Europe recently disrupted a multinational cartel that controlled a significant portion of Europe’s cocaine trade. The leader of this cartel, Edin “Tito” Gacanin, was suspected of being involved in the importation of cocaine from Durban to Rotterdam. South African police have intercepted a vessel with cocaine worth millions of dollars en route from Brazil to Durban. It is suspected that corrupt officials may be involved in facilitating the trafficking of drugs through the country.