South Africa: SA's Gupta Extradition Flop Now Dulls UAE's Shiny Approach to Catching Global Fugitives

30 September 2026
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
By Caryn Dolley

The United Arab Emirates once seemed to attract global crooks. Now its justice minister has detailed tightened extradition approaches and reiterated that partnerships between countries are key. Pity then about South Africa's failed attempt to get the fugitive Gupta brothers back from there to face State Capture accusations.

Various extraditions have been carried out from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this year.

Take the high-profile case of alleged Kinahan cartel boss Daniel Kinahan, accused of crimes ranging from drug trafficking to murder - he was sent packing back to Ireland in August 2026.

His dad Christopher's UAE visa was reportedly also cancelled, meaning that after years in Dubai, Christopher has until the end of September - this week - to leave if he has not already done so.

Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines

(Daily Maverick previously reported that evidence suggests the Irish-origin Kinahan cartel has ties to South Africa.)

Read more How global gangs like the Kinahan cartel challenge SA's money crime controls September 10, 2025 At the time of Daniel Kinahan's enforced return to Ireland, the UAE's justice minister, Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, had strong words about the development.

He noted that the extradition underscored his "nation's steadfast approach in supporting global efforts to combat transnational organised crime, pursue perpetrators of serious offences and prevent their escape from justice".

'International cooperation built on trust'

The 15th United Nations (UN) Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is now being held in the UAE.

Billed...

Read the full story on Daily Maverick.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2026 Daily Maverick. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.