Spanish police are continuing to investigate a haul of weapons discovered at a property on the Costa del Sol which are reportedly linked to the Kinahans.
Spanish authorities confirmed they are trying to identify and locate the property's former tenants who are believed to have abandoned the arsenal.
Detectives revealed they have named the investigation Operation Rambo, adding the weapons seized included 30 pistols, eight submachine guns, 12 rifles, two revolvers, 15 silencers and 30 balaclavas.
Overnight reports said Spanish investigators were linking the seizure to the Kinahan cartel.
All the weapons are said to have had their serial numbers erased.
The seizure was made in May last year but was only recently made public.
The property where the weapons were found has been described as a second-floor flat in a residential complex in the municipality of Estepona, near Marbella, where Daniel Kinahan and his father Christy were based for years before moving to Dubai.
The weapons seizure has been described as one of the largest-ever hauls of its kind on the Costa del Sol.
Spanish news website El Confidencial reported DNA found on one of the items seized “point to the Kinahan clan”.
It also claimed the tenants had used fake IDs to rent the property and had abandoned it in a hurry in November 2021, around six months before the police operation.
Utility companies had disconnected the supply of electricity and other basic services before the police conducted their search.
A police source told the news website: “These sorts of gangs find it easier to obtain 500kg of cannabis resin than a pistol.
“If they lose a consignment of drugs of that size, they know they’ll have an even larger one the following day.
“It’s not the same with weapons. If you lose them, it’s a problem.”
However, Spain’s National Police did not mention the Kinahan cartel in a statement on the matter.
A spokesman confirmed: “The National Police has located a haul of firearms and ammunition at a property in Estepona. The property was empty and its tenants had not been paying the rent since November 2021.
“Because the bills hadn’t been paid, the electricity supply had been cut off. The weapons had been left in several rooms.
“More than 50 firearms were found and seized - 30 pistols, eight sub-machine guns, 12 rifles, two revolvers, as well as 15 silencers, eight hacksaws to cut metal, 30 balaclavas and two trackers among other items. The items also included telescopic sights, weapon carry cases, cartridges and a sizable amount of ammunition.
“Officers based in Estepona continue to carry out an investigation, called Operation Rambo, following the discovery. The cache of weapons was discovered by chance in May last year after property management workers accessed the property and alerted police.
“Other items seized were a double-barrelled pistol in the shape of a keyring as well as four long-sleeved shirts, four tracksuit bottoms and three pairs of trainers which were blue and hadn’t been used.
“The 30 balaclavas were the same colour. All of this pointed towards the fact the property was probably being used by more than one person.
“The investigation remains open and focused on the identification and location of the former tenants.”
