Ex-Premier League star Wes Hoolahan's brother feared 'kidnapped and murdered by Kinahan cartel' as police in Costa del Sol arrest British man and four Irish nationals

Published: 11:48 EST, 9 November 2026 | Updated: 12:00 EST, 9 November 2026 The brother of former Premier League star Wes Hoolahan is feared dead in Spain – with police probing whether the feared Kinahan criminal gang are responsible.Darren 'Roy' Hoolahan vanished after a meeting at a cafe in San Pedro de Alcantara, near Marbella on the Costa del Sol. The 37-year-old was reported missing by his family on June 10, and is said to have lived in Marbella for several years, working in the nightlife industry.Spanish police are pursuing the theory that Hoolahan, a father-of-two originally from Dublin, was abducted and held against his will following the meeting.There is no suggestion whatsoever that Hoolahan's brother Wes – a 44-year-old former Irish international – has any involvement in criminal activities. Court officials confirmed four people had been remanded in custody and one suspect had been released on bail.The official said: 'Five individuals were arrested. Four of them were remanded to custody, without bail and with no restrictions on communication, pending further investigation.'They are being investigated for the alleged unlawful detention of an individual named Darren Hoolahan, as well as for offences involving the possession of military-grade weapons, membership in a criminal organization, and crimes against public health.'The specific charges against each individual will be determined as the case progresses.' Darren Hoolahan (pictured in 2018) is missing, suspected dead, after he went to a cafe on the Costa del Sol and has not been seen sincePolice are reported to have identified the head of the Kinahan Cartel's Spanish operations, and his associates, as prime suspects.Four Irish nationals and one British national were arrested last month in connection with the younger Hoolahan's disappearance.The Irish nationals were remanded in custody following an appearance before a judge today. The British national, named in court as Karl D H, was granted bail – but immediately taken into custody under an international arrest warrant issued by Spain's Audiencia Nacional court in Madrid on an unrelated matter.A well-placed police source said today: 'The suspects who have been arrested are four Irish nationals and one British national.'The arrests relate to the Darren Hoolahan case which the police have categorised as a "disturbing disappearance".'Sources said they did not know what the warrant in the separate case was for. News of the arrests, on October 27, only emerged at the weekend. His brother is the former Premier League and Irish international footballer Wes Hoolahan (pictured). There is no suggestion whatsoever that Wes has any involvement in criminalityPolice believe that Hoolahan was taken to a secluded area near Estepona, 12 miles from the cafe where he was last seen. But searches of the area turned up nothing.Last week Spanish media outlet El Espanol said in a stark assessment of his fate: 'Everything is pointing to him being dead and buried in Marbella, in some mountain or even underneath the swimming pool of a house linked to a member of the Irish mafia.' El Espanol also reported that the gang suspected of abducting and killing him had allegedly tried to snatch him on March 25, with CCTV footage showing at least three people storming his Marbella villa before discovering their target was not there. Hoolahan was one of two men being investigated over a March 2024 gun attack that saw British-run eatery La Sala showered with bullets. Two men were seen fleeing on a motorbike following the drive-by shooting, which destroyed the restaurant's windows. Nobody was injured.The restaurant is in the holiday resort of Puerto Banus, a short drive from Marbella. Wes Hoolahan made more than 300 appearances during a decade at Norwich City and also played for Blackpool, West Bromwich Albion and Shelbourne. He also earned 43 caps for the Republic of Ireland before announcing his retirement from international football in February 2018.