EXCLUSIVE | 

Kinahan cartel vodka moll Nicola Morrissey on the move for third time in a year

Since the former CAB target’s arrest in September 2022, Nicola has waged a one-woman battle to keep Nero Drinks in operation

Sat 9 Mar 2024 at 17:37

Kinahan money launderer Johnny Morrissey’s moll is on the move for the third time in a year — moving the headquarters of their beloved vodka company back to its original base.

Company documents obtained by the Sunday World show Nicola Morrissey submitted documents to the UK company office in late January, moving the base of Nero Vodka from 15 Cumbernauld Road in Stepps back to 9 Newton Place in Glasgow.

Number 9 Newtown Place is the registered address of Technology House — a premises that serves as a centre for a number of unrelated businesses.

Morrissey previously used the centre as an address for Nero Vodka before moving the company to the Cumbernauld Road address in October last year.

Although Nicola is identified in company documents as full owner, the US Department of Treasury has alleged Nero Drinks is indirectly owned and controlled by Nicola’s gangster husband Johnny Morrissey.

Johnny is currently locked up in Spain awaiting trial on charges relating to the laundering of hundreds of millions in Kinahan cartel cash.

Since the former CAB target’s arrest in September 2022, Nicola has waged a one-woman battle to keep Nero Drinks in operation.

In February last year, she formally registered an objection against its dissolution, stalling efforts by UK authorities to have its name stricken from the UK’s Registrar of Companies and its assets forfeited to the Crown.

Moves to dissolve the company followed the identification of Nero Drinks by US authorities as a key entity in the Kinahan cartel’s worldwide money laundering operations.

In a raft of sanctions announced by the US Department of Treasury in April 2022, the US Department of Treasury alleged Nero Drinks “was designated [sanctioned] for being owned or controlled by, directly or indirectly, John Morrissey.

“John Morrissey,” it said, “who outwardly serves as the Nero Drinks’ brand ambassador, is heavily invested in Nero Drinks and has given a significant portion of the business to Daniel Kinahan to compensate for loads of drugs seized by law enforcement.

“John Morrissey controls and operates Nero Drinks through his wife, the primary shareholder, who is used as a frontperson for his interests.”

Nicola (48) was also arrested by Spanish police in the raid leading to her husband’s capture but was later released without charge.

Spanish police claim Johnny Morrissey laundered more than €200 million in crime cash in the 18 months leading up his arrest.

Since the former CAB target’s arrest in September 2022, Nicola has waged a one-woman battle to keep Nero Drinks in operation.

In February last year, she formally registered an objection against its dissolution, stalling efforts by UK authorities to have its name stricken from the UK’s Registrar of Companies and its assets forfeited to the Crown.

Moves to dissolve the company followed the identification of Nero Drinks by US authorities as a key entity in the Kinahan cartel’s worldwide money laundering operations.

In a raft of sanctions announced by the US Department of Treasury in April 2022, the US Department of Treasury alleged Nero Drinks “was designated [sanctioned] for being owned or controlled by, directly or indirectly, John Morrissey.

“John Morrissey,” it said, “who outwardly serves as the Nero Drinks’ brand ambassador, is heavily invested in Nero Drinks and has given a significant portion of the business to Daniel Kinahan to compensate for loads of drugs seized by law enforcement.