This is the fortified Spanish villa that once housed leading members of the infamous Kinahan cartel.
Tucked away in a ‘low-key’ millionaire’s row in Marbella, the terracotta mansion stands out for its state-of-the-art security.
High-tech CCTV cameras tower above either side of its entrance gate, offering full coverage of the street below.
More cameras are mounted on the villa itself, alongside lights and an alarm system to ward off would-be intruders.
A high wall runs along the property’s streetside perimetre, lined with towering trees, guaranteeing privacy.
The home is situated in Guadalmina Baja, a beachside neighbourhood that sits on the border between Marbella and Estepona, on the Costa del Sol.
It is listed by the US Treasury Department as the main Spanish address for Daniel Kinahan, the son of alleged drug kingpin Christy Kinahan.
It’s just one of six Costa del Sol properties purchased by Christy, Daniel, and his second son Christy Jr, according to the documents.
Sean Woolley, director of real estate firm Cloud Nine Spain, said Guadalmina Baja is hugely popular with overseas buyers and ‘Spanish nobility’.
He told the Spanish Eye: ‘Guadalmina has always been one of Marbella’s foremost addresses, often regarded on a par with more famous neighbourhoods such as the Golden Mile and Sierra Blanca.
‘The area has an understated, low-key feel, not as brash as some other locations, so it has always attracted an older, monied crowd. The very popular commercial centre which services the resort is home to well-known, traditional restaurants such as the famous Asador, where you often spy a familiar face or two.’
Former Spanish prime minister Jose Aznar is known to have a home in Guadalmina Baja.
Woolley added: ‘Owners of villas in Guadalmina Baja amount to a who’s who of famous Spaniards, a list which includes ex-Prime Ministers, national football managers (and players), and prominent business owners.
‘Although not a gated community, CCTV cameras are commonplace, and a subtle security presence is often visible, especially when one of the famous owners is in residence.
‘The residents tend to enjoy the easy access to the fabulous beach restaurants, as well as the famous Guadalmina golf course, which often hosts televised professional tournaments.
‘In addition to the aforementioned commercial area which offers a wealth of shops, supermarkets, banks, bars and restaurants, and bearing in mind that the throbbing jet-set marina of Puerto Banus can be reached in less than 10 minutes, Guadalmina is a bit of a hidden gem.’
The Kinahans bought two other villas in San Pedro de Alcantara (Marbella), plus an apartment in Los Flamingos Golf in neighbouring Benahavis.
Mystery surrounds the current status of the properties after the Spanish authorities seized many of the Kinahan’s assets during Operation Shovel.
The two-year probe in 2010 saw Daniel and Christy Snr arrested, but a lack of evidence, police corruption and judicial delays resulted in abject failure.
The Kinahans later demanded everything that was seized be returned to them.
In 2022, Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau also seized a number of properties belonging to the family.
The Spanish Eye has requested information on the ownership of the properties from Spanish authorities.
Attention returned to the Kinahans this month following the release of the BBC documentary ‘Kinahan: The True Story of Ireland’s Mafia’.
The father and son trio are accused of running one of the most powerful drug cartels on the planet, worth an estimated €1billion.
From the early 2000s, the Kinahans established a significant presence in Spain, especially on the Costa del Sol, in the southernmost region of Andalucia.
They allegedly became masters at drug trafficking and money laundering, while using legitimate businesses like gyms and boxing clubs as fronts for their criminal empire.
But in 2016, they abandoned the country after Irish and Spanish authorities joined forces to take them down, hoping to succeed where Operation Shovel failed.
It came after a series of tit-for-tat killings on the streets of Marbella and Ireland, which included the assassination attempt of rival gang leader Gerry ‘the monk’ Hutch.
The feud would claim at least 19 lives and prove one of the deadliest in Irish mob history.
The Kinahans moved to the Middle East and set up a new base in Dubai, where they remain among the most wanted men in the world.
The UAE has no extradition treaty with the US or Spain, offering them a greater sense of security.
In 2022, the United States offered a $5m reward for information that would lead to the arrest of either Christy, Daniel or Christy Jr.
Until that year, Christy Snr had been ducking in and out of Spain – and other countries – while leaving around 200 Google reviews of restaurants, hotels and other services.
An investigation by Bellingcat and the Sunday Times discovered that the alleged narco kingpin was a ‘Level 7 local guide’ who used the username ‘the Dapper Don’.
One such restaurant he reviewed was Tricky Ricky’s, a humble greasy spoon just across the road from Guadalmina Baja.
‘An old English style cafe in Guadalmina’, he wrote, with staff ‘friendly but businesslike.’
He also had some words for the Asador tapas restaurant a few doors down, branding staff ‘friendly, efficient and helpful’, and the service ‘very good.’
‘I give this establishment a resounding 5 star rating, without second thoughts or hesitation,’ he said.
But Tricky Ricky staff were quick to play dumb when asked about his visits last week.
One cook told the Spanish Eye: ‘I’ve been here 23 years and I’ve learned not to say anything and keep my mouth shut.’
Another worker said: ‘We’ve had so many people asking us about him when his review came out, but we’re staying out of it, we serve everyone equally and don’t ask questions.’
It’s a stark reminder of the reality of living on the Costa del Sol.
One Guadalmina local, who asked to remain anonymous, explained: ‘You never know who you’re sitting next to in a restaurant, it could be a family of tourists or a group of drug traffickers.
‘Just the other week I was in a Thai restaurant near here and National Police officers in balaclavas stormed in and dragged a guy away from his table.
‘It’s always been like this but there is a quiet understanding that as long as the violence doesn’t spill onto the streets and no one innocent gets hurt, then it is accepted as a fact of life.
‘Yes there are a lot of criminals but if you’re not involved in their world then you won’t get hurt!’
Exactly a year ago, an Albanian gangster, 34, was shot twice in Guadalmina Baja by a rival clan, in what police described as a ‘settling of accounts’ – but that’s nothing new.
In 2023, the Guadalmina commercial centre was the scene of a mafia-related shootout.
Three masked individuals were seen firing shots, leaving two men injured in the hand, legs and pelvis.
In 2018, a Spaniard was assassinated just a few hundred metres away and in front of his family outside the San Pedro de Alcantara church, over an alleged debt to a drug cartel.
But the outbursts of violence do little to deter holidaymakers, nor expats and locals from snapping up properties in what is regarded as one of the most sought after areas.
