An Garda Síochána has identified a veteran criminal based in the UK as a person of interest in the investigation into the disappearance of Icelandic man Jón Jónsson.
The suspect, who is from Liverpool, has a history of robbery, domestic violence and large-scale drug dealing.
Gardaí are co-operating with Merseyside Police in the UK, through Europol, in an effort to speak to the 60-year-old man.
Jónsson, a father of four and taxi driver, vanished on February 9th, 2019, after leaving the Bonnington Hotel on the Swords Road in north Dublin, where he had been staying. He had come to Ireland with his fiancee for a poker tournament and a short holiday.
Jónsson, who was aged 41 when he went missing, left the hotel on foot at about 11am and was recorded by a security camera passing the entrance to a nursing home some 200m away.
Beyond those images gardaí have no information about where he went and no trace of him has since been uncovered. He had never been to Ireland before, had no friends or family here, and had not gone missing previously.
Since the airing of an RTÉ podcast series on Jónsson‘s disappearance, gardaí have carried out multiple searches around Dublin. Members of the force also travelled to Iceland, where they interviewed almost 60 people.
Members of the Jónsson family believe he may have been killed by a hitman in a case of mistaken identity. However, the investigation has yet to be upgraded to a homicide inquiry.
One line of inquiry is that the person of interest identified by gardaí travelled to Ireland to attack another Icelandic man, on the orders of a criminal gang, and mistakenly targeted Jónsson.
This man grew up in the UK and was convicted of armed robbery about 30 years ago and jailed. Shortly after his release he was arrested in another country in connection with a significant drugs seizure.
He later moved to Iceland, where local court records show he committed a series of violent assaults against his then partner. He was charged but left Iceland before he could be tried and was sentenced in absentia.
The man arrived in Ireland a number of years ago. Investigators had some trouble getting the flight manifest showing his arrival due to the airline having gone out of business but were able to determine his movements using Icelandic customs records.
Investigators believe it was around this time he received orders from an organised crime group to threaten or attack an Icelandic man who was also in Ireland.
Sources say gardaí wish to speak to the man in relation to Jónsson’s disappearance. However, they do not have enough evidence to bring charges, meaning he cannot be extradited.
Work is ongoing to have Merseyside Police locate and interview the man in the UK under a mutual legal assistance agreement.
Last month, gardaí renewed their appeal to the public for assistance in relation to the disappearance of Jónsson.
In a statement marking the seventh anniversary of his disappearance, the Garda said it continues to treat the case as an active missing person investigation.
“We are especially appealing to anyone who was in the Whitehall, Santry, or Collins Avenue areas on the morning of 9th February, 2019, or who may have spoken with or seen Jón around that time.”
The case will also be featured on Monday night’s episode of Crimecall on RTÉ.