Senior Kinahan cartel mobster Ross Browning to stand trial in Spain on firearms charges

The Dubliner, who was recently described in court as being the No.1 man in Ireland at the heart of an international crime gang involved in €1 billion worth of illegal activities, is one of five Kinahan associates named in an indictment made public by Spanish authorities this week in relation to the 2010 operation targeting the gang.

Christy Kinahan Snr is also one of the five named in the indictment and is facing up to four years if convicted in relation to passport fraud charges.

Spanish prosecutors have indicted Browning for unlawful possession of a weapon and are seeking a jail term of two years and nine months if he is convicted.

Spanish police seized a Glock 19 handgun when they raided Browning’s home in Benahavis near Malaga in May 2010.

The prosecutor said: "After entering and searching the home of Ross Browning in Benahavis on May 27, 2010, a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol whose serial number had been removed and which had been converted for cartridges of 8'8 x 19mm Parabellum ammunition was found 'in good condition'.

"Ballistics reports revealed it was fitted with a safety on the trigger and its mechanical function was correct. It was capable of being fired."

The convicted armed robber from Hardwicke Street in Dublin lived in Spain for a number of years and is regarded as a major cog in the Kinahan organisation.

He was arrested in 2010 as part of Operation Shovel and quizzed for several days. A Spanish magistrate indicated that a company, of which Browning was a director, JBM Builders, was being probed as part of Shovel.

The Spanish authorities seized property and companies worth tens of millions of euro as part of the investigation against the Kinahan drugs gang and Browning’s passport was seized.

It was only returned to him late in 2013 and he has subsequently returned to his north city stronghold where he was regarded as running Christy Kinahan’s operation on the northside

Browning also featured in documentation supplied to gardai in October 2011 requesting the extradition of ‘Fat’ Freddie Thompson as part of Operation Shovel.

The Spanish authorities referenced several suspected Kinahan gang members, including Browning, Gary Hutch, and Gary Finnegan.

They wrote: “Telephone tapping on telephone number (given) and surveillance operations have revealed that Freddie travelled to Amsterdam (Holland), to weigh up the possibility of preparing and supervising a large shipment of drugs which was to be picked up in Ireland.

“As part of this operation, it was discovered that Gary Finnegan, member of this organisation in Ireland, travelled to Malaga on 7th of May 2010 to meet personally with Daniel Kinahan to discuss the shipment. Daniel was supposedly going to finance part of the shipment.

“A surveillance operation was launched in Malaga and officers saw Ross Browning, another one of the persons under investigation, arrive at the airport to collect him. He was driving the car usually driven by Gary Hutch, which is owned by the company known as (company name). The company is also under investigation in this case for arms and drugs trafficking”.

At a CAB hearing in October Browning was described being the No.1 man in Ireland at the heart of an international crime gang involved in €1 billion worth of illegal activities.

Browning’s key role in the drug-dealing gang was highlighted at the opening of a €1.7 million Criminal Assets Bureau against him in the High Court.

CAB’s case against Browning is that various properties, vehicles and jewellery were purchased from the proceeds of crime despite efforts to disguise the origin of the money through various family members.

It was also stated that he is a close and trusted lieutenant of the Kinahans and is regarded their ‘principal representative’ in this country.

In his role for the gang, he remains “hands-off” and is removed from the actual handling of drugs.

He has flown to Dubai where the Kinahans are based as well as to Perth, Lisbon and Phuket.