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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Nicola Donnelly

Daniel Kinahan continues to 'sportswash his reputation' after 'week from hell' as he poses with Martyn Ford

Mob boss Daniel Kinahan continues to ‘sportswash his criminal reputation’ after a week from hell which saw a €1m mansion linked to him seized and his close associate Thomas ‘Bomber’ Kavanagh jailed for 21 years.

Thug Kinahan, who has been holed up in Dubai for a number of years as he tries to evade law enforcement agencies across Europe, has been desperate to improve his image as he tries to build a reputation as one of boxing’s most powerful brokers.

Now, his latest sportswashing attempt has seen bodybuilder and actor Martyn Ford pay a gushing tribute to the gangland figure, claiming he has signed an advisory deal with Kinahan.

READ MORE: James Whelan's pals 'waiting until after funeral' to seek revenge on gangster they blame for murder

Ford — who has been dubbed the “World’s Scariest Man” and stands at 6ft 8 inches tall — towered over Kinahan as they posed together.

They put their arms around each other as Ford announced the new deal with the Dublin gangster, who he described as the “most powerful man in boxing”.

Ford, whose fight against the ‘Iranian Hulk’ Sajad Gharibi in London on April 30 was cancelled yesterday, posted the image of himself with Kinahan to his official Instagram account.

He revealed he has now signed an advisory deal after “a chance opportunity came about to meet the most powerful man in the sport, Daniel Kinahan”.

Ford continued: “He works with every promoter in the game and literally every fighter I spoke with told me he was the man I needed to speak to if I wanted to take this seriously.”

This latest ‘sportswashing’ move for Kinahan comes after a week from hell for his cartel — which saw key lieutenant Thomas ‘Bomber’ Kavanagh being jailed for 21 years after importing cocaine and cannabis worth more than €36m.

A UK court heard last week how Kavanagh (54) masterminded a smuggling operation in which drugs were hidden inside machinery.

And on Tuesday, the Kinahan cartel were dealt another major blow after a €1m mansion in Saggart, Dublin, which was closely associated with the criminal cartel and owned by businessman Jim Mansfield Jr was seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau.

READ MORE: Chilling video posted by Mr Flashy mob following James Whelan murder as gardai identify suspect

READ MORE: Sinister threat of more bloodshed as rival factions at war on social media after James Whelan death

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