Watch: Gardaí address the media after landmark drug trial
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Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
MV Matthew crew were no mere cogs — they played a vital role in cocaine trafficking venture
Sailors sentenced to prison for their involvement in major international drug trafficking through Ireland were not mere cogs in the wheel but vital parts of the engine that drives international drug trafficking, a court has heard. Eight men have been sentenced to a combined 129 years in prison for their role in a drug trafficking operation that was intercepted and resulted in the largest cocaine seizure in the history of the State. Guilty pleas among mitigating factors Justice Melanie Greally initially set combined headline sentences for the men at 203 years at the Special Criminal Court on Friday. But she reduced each man's sentence due to multiple mitigating factors, including their guilty pleas. The MV Matthew, owned by a Dubai-based company, was raided at gunpoint by Ireland's elite Army Ranger Wing in rough seas off the Cork coast in September 2023. Eight men from the crew of 21 were ultimately charged with drug trafficking offences. Justice Greally sentenced the men according to their hierarchy and culpability in the operation. However, she accepted that none of the accused were operating in the higher echelons of the organised crime group which was directing the operation remotely. And the crew would not stand to profit from sales of the drugs. 'Committed to the success of the venture' However, all convicted men, apart from Jamie Harbron and Cumali Ozgen had high levels of seafaring expertise. And maritime drug trafficking cannot take place without that, Justice Greally said. They are not cogs in the wheel but vital parts of the engine that drives international drug trafficking, she said. They had proven competence and had a high level of trust within the operation, Justice Greally said. She added: We consider each man committed to the success of the venture. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, and Vitaliy Vlasoi, both 32; Iranians Soheil Jelveh, 51, and Saeid Hassani, 39; Filipino Harold Estoesta, 31, and Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, 49, all pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply on board the MV Mathew between 24 and 26 September 2023. Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa, aged 62, with an address at Rudenka, Repina Str in Berdyansk, and Jamie Harbron, aged 31, of South Avenue, Billingham in the UK, pleaded guilty to attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply between 21 and 25 September 2023. MV Honmon renamed to MV Matthew The 190m bulk cargo ship was initially called the MV Honmon but had its name changed to the MV Matthew before the drug trafficking operation, directed by a powerful cartel with unlimited resources and international reach. Its registered owner was a company based in the Marshall Islands but the company that ultimately owned it was a company called Symphony Marine based in Dubai, Justice Greally noted. It was designed to carry bulk cargo like grain, with five cargo holds. But it left the coast of Venezuela empty. Crew distracted with barbecue and alcohol Armed men loaded the ship with cocaine at night off the coast of Venezuela when most of the crew had been distracted with a barbecue on board and plied with alcohol. A small number of the MV Matthew crew were used to load the cocaine while at sea in September 2023. Despite the 2.2 tonne load, worth some €157m, only one of the five cargo holds was used to store it initially. The containers it was stored in looked like 'matchboxes in a car boot,' the court heard. The ship was moored in Venezuela in August, undergoing preparations for the voyage. It set sail in September 2023, with its stated destination as Gdansk in Poland. But it travelled around the northwest African coast, past the Canaries, the Bay of Biscay, and on to the Irish sea. Ship's true location was 'spoofed' Mr Jelveh was the captain, Vlasoi was second in command, Estoesta and Gavryk were second officers, and Hassani was the third officer. Ozgen, previously described in court as the eyes and ears of the cartel, was the lowest-ranking and not an officer but occupied the most important cabin by the bridge. This was due to his 'supervisory function' for the cartel, the court heard. For 15 days, the MV Matthew misrepresented its place at sea in an operation known as 'spoofing,' where a vessel's stated course differs from their real course. Drug traffickers often use this technique, Justice Greally noted. Crew members aware of the deception Crew involved in a number of WhatsApp and Signal groups used to communicate with those directing the operation from Dubai, were aware of this spoofing, referencing aborting the necessary navigation software, Justice Greally noted. When the ship claimed it was steaming past Trinidad and Tobago, it was actually still off Venezuela, she said. Gardaí monitored 'persons of interest' Meanwhile, retired fisherman Ukrainian Vitaliy Lapa had been monitored with two persons of interest to gardaí in Ireland. One of these persons of interest bought the fishing vessel the Castelmore from Castletownbere in West Cork, with more than €300,000 transferred from a company based in Dubai for the purchase. Mr Lapa and Jamie Harbron set sail on September 22, 2023. In communications about the operation, the MV Matthew was referred to as 'big bus'. A 'jumbo load' would be collected from the 'big bus' which may take some balancing. Its weight of 2.2T was specified. Encrypted messaging A Starlink satellite system installed on the fishing boat was to allow communications through encrypted messaging apps about the drug transfer from mother ship to daughter ship. But the Castlemore hit rough weather, suffered wifi failure and its engine failed. Lapa, an experienced fisherman from Ukraine, spoke little English and he and Harbron communicated with the help of online translation tools. Meanwhile, Captain Jelveh was complaining of unfavourable sea conditions to someone directing the operation from Dubai via WhatsApp and Signal communications. Unhappy about the choice of volatile Irish waters to transfer the cargo, he complained to his paymasters in Dubai. He was also concerned about the Matthew's straying from its stated course. In one message, he wrote: I'd rather go to prison but I won't stay in a storm. Meanwhile, with no wifi and a failing engine, the Castlemore was directed to hug the Irish coast and use its VHF radio for communications and turn on its vessel identification system (VIS) so it could meet the 'big bus'. A voice directing the operation from off the boat through encrypted messaging apps announced that he would take over as the captain remotely from Jelveh on September 24, 2023. Castlemore's distress call A distress call was made from the Castelmore to the coastguard after 11pm after it ran aground on a sandbank off Wexford in stormy seas. Lapa and Harbron were rescued by helicopter and were later arrested. A phone seized from Lapa when analysed showed the Castlemore intended meeting with MV Matthew. 'For some hours, the fate of the Castelmore was unknown to the crew on the MV Matthew,' Justice Greally said. But the level of emergency was clear from its communication with the coastguard, picked up by the MV Matthew via radio. Directing the operation from off the ship, a person, often referred to as 'captain Noah', announced that the plan was changing. The drugs were to be sent ashore in a lifeboat with Ozgen on September 25, 2023. "Cumali Ozgen will be the commander of the boat, teach him disengaging,' a message said. Ozgen was the only MV Matthew crew member with no real seafaring experience. Crew commented in messaging apps that he would never be able to manage the lifeboat, loaded with drugs on his own. 'Better for us, worse thing to have him on board,' one person commented. Another person said: 'He will go all bad demons will go.' Ozgen was feared on the boat as the direct operative for the cartel, crew said. The former captain, Jelveh, said he was put on the ship to murder him. The Dutchman of Turkish origin was never lowered onto rough seas at night in the life raft heavy with more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine. But he did receive the heaviest sentence of all the crew. Headline sentence reduced to 20 years His headline sentence of 30 years was reduced to 20 years partially because he pleaded guilty, saving the State time and resources, Justice Greally said. Former captain Jelveh called for a medical evacuation from the MV Matthew after the Castlemore ran aground, taking suitcases, three mobile phones, a satellite phone and more than $53,000 with him. But he was arrested and analysis of his phone proved useful for the investigation. MV Matthew monitored in Irish waters Meanwhile, the MV Matthew was being monitored by Irish authorities as it moved within Irish territorial waters and the contiguous zone, an area further from shore where Irish authorities still have some legal rights to board a vessel. The ship had dropped anchor, claiming it needed to carry out repairs as it stalled while trying to concoct a new plan to transfer the drugs. But the LÉ William Butler Yeats naval ship was monitoring the MV Matthew. It became apparent that the MV Matthew was not conducting engine repairs. The MV Matthew was trying to increase its distance from land, wrongly believing that Irish authorities then could not board the vessel. LÉ William Butler Yeats in 'hot pursuit' When the MV Matthew repeatedly failed to comply with Irish customs orders, the LÉ William Butler Yeats announced it was in 'hot pursuit' of the vessel. It announced it was a warship and fired shots when the Matthew continued to evade its orders. Estoesta radioed the ship, claiming they were just a commercial vessel, the crew was crying in fear, he said, they had families and they did not want trouble. But at the same time, he was taking direction from Dubai, being told to head with speed south out of Irish waters and to travel "with full speed" towards Sierra Leone. Incorrect information from Dubai "They have talked too much, show them some real action," the voice from Dubai said, encouraging the crew to ignore the Irish authorities. "Be confident, there is a law preventing them from boarding," the Dubai voice wrongly advised. He then wished them 'bon voyage'. Crew tried to burn the drugs as the Army Ranger Wing approached in a helicopter, using accelerants like paint thinner to intensify the flames. Army Rangers boarded the MV Matthew As the army rangers tried to board the vessel, abseiling from a helicopter on a rope, the MV Matthew swerved and manoeuvred at speed to try to evade them, further endangering the rangers' lives. But they boarded the vessel and extinguished the flames on the drugs, preserving the evidence, and took control of the ship. Phones seized from the men on board proved crucial to the investigation, giving second-by-second accounts of the drug trafficking plan, and its sudden unravelling at sea in high swells. The men denied knowing the ship was carrying drugs initially. But they admitted growing suspicious when armed men unloaded the cargo off the coast of Venezuela at night, and when they saw the cargo, which was clearly not 'spare parts' as they said they were told. All men said they flew to Dubai for interviews and later to Venezuela to board the MV Matthew on lucrative contracts. When they raised concerns about the cargo, they said they were told they'd be paid bonuses to stay quiet. 'Terrified and alone' Hassani said he was 'just following orders and was scared for his life." Financial necessity, caring for his daughter and sick and injured sisters in Iran had driven him to take the job, he said. Estoesta said he was 'terrified and alone at sea' and felt he had to do what was asked of him by the shadowy voices in Dubai once he was aboard. He said he was responsible for communications on board only because of his strong command of English. Letters were sent from loved ones about the accused's kindness, loyalty and academic achievements were sent to the court. Ozgen grew up in a socially deprived community in Holland where survival was the law of the street, one letter said. He was caring for his son who had multiple operations for brain tumours and made 'risky choices to provide a better future to his family." Gavryk was described by his former schools as a serious and motivated student, a detail-orientated specialist who was also an attentive friend. Vlasoi was a devoted father whose wife was now trying to care for their child alone. Estoesta had excelled academically and was from an educated, respected family, many of whom successfully served their country in the air force, law and medicine. Hassani was trying to provide for his family which had led to indebtedness. Harbron was the only crew with previous convictions, two of which were for drugs. But he came from a disadvantaged background, suffered violence in his family as a child and had drug and alcohol abuse and mental health issues, the court heard. However, he was a caring father and partner, the court heard. Lapa's hometown in Ukraine was under occupation and he was forced out of retirement as a mariner in the fishing industry to work out of financial necessity. His family is at risk of losing their home, the court heard. Mitigating and aggravating factors Justice Greally took these accounts into consideration. But she said that in addition to mitigation, there were serious aggravating factors in their cases. One aggravating factor was the scale of criminal organisation they were working for. Another was the "vast quantity of drugs" involved and their considerable value. Another aggravating factor was the type of drug itself and the "widespread social harm" cocaine does. Ozgen was given the heaviest sentence as he was most deeply involved with the organised crime group, she said. He provided the crime organisation with progress reports every two to three days and was a "malign and intimidatory presence" on the ship. But Estoesta had the second heaviest sentence because he "persistently defied orders" from Irish Customs and naval officers. He was no longer 'alone at sea' but when faced with a binary choice of cooperating with authorities or taking orders from an organised crime group, he sided with the OCG and tried to escape with the drugs to Sierra Leone before a "last gasp effort" to destroy the evidence, Justice Greally said. Vlasoi had the third heaviest sentence as the de facto captain aboard at the time of the ship's interception, he was responsible for "vigorously moving the boat" while the army rangers tried to board, endangering their lives. Ozgen was given a headline sentence of 30 years, Estoesta received a headline sentence of 28 years; Jelveh was given 27 years; Vlasoi was given 26; Hassani received 24 years; Gavryk 23 years; Lapa 23 years and Harbron to 22 years. But guilty pleas and other mitigating factors saw these sentences reduced. Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, age 49, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Filipino Harold Estoesta, 31, was sentenced to 18 years. The captain, Iranian Soheil Jelveh, 51, was sentenced to 17.5 years. Ukrainian Vitaliy Vlasoi, 32, was sentenced to 16.5 years. Iranian Saeid Hassani, 39, was sentenced to 15 years. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, 32, was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa, aged 62, was sentenced to 14.5 years. And UK national Jamie Harbron was sentenced to 13.5 years.
The Journal
7 hours ago
- The Journal
Analysis: MV Matthew seizure was a major success ... but Irish appetite for cocaine remains
THERE IS LITTLE doubt that the taking of the MV Matthew was a huge success story for Irish law enforcement agencies and the Irish military – it was the proof of a concept that had been promised by state agencies for decades. The operation that led to the capture of the vessel, along with its haul of cocaine worth some €157 million, came about through sharing of information among a raft of Irish and international law enforcement and military agencies. It demonstrated how, when it comes to large-scale crackdowns on drug trafficking, the haphazard approach of old, hoping that touts will inform the gardaí is now a lottery of the past. Operation Piano – as the operation was called – was as sophisticated as it can be, with an international web of agencies all working together. The success of the operation, as those working in the drug policy sector explain in further detail later in this piece, must however be balanced against the reality that the demand for cocaine is apparently as high as ever. Supply is also keeping up with that demand too – a point underscored by the fact that the street price of a bag of cocaine has not wavered from the standard €80 in recent years. Earlier today, eight men from Ukraine, Britain and Iran, were sentenced to jail terms ranging from 20 years to 13 and a half years. All were relative bit players in a much larger drama and, speaking after the sentencing, gardaí have vowed to continue their investigation to bring to justice those who directed the operation across the globe. The road to successes like today's has been a long one for gardaí, customs and the military – incremental modernisation, although on a slow drip basis, has come to fruition in the fight against organised crime. The birth of the Joint Task Force in which all of the agencies named above work as a group in largescale drugs interdictions is key. No competing agencies, everyone pulling in the same direction. Often it takes a disaster to move State agencies forward. In many respects the failure to stop the Regency Hotel murder of Kinahan lieutenant David Byrne by members of the Hutch gang was a key catalyst. The resulting feud between the Kinahans and the Hutches enough to bring State cheque books out of locked safes. This was the moment of realisation for those who control policy and funding to wake up to the reality that they could not fund policing on the cheap. The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB), empowered and adequately financed in the wake of that incident is also key. One of the senior officers leading the operation went back to college in its wake and studied a masters in the law of the sea. This is not just about the experience of dealing myopically with criminals in Ireland – the police fighting this are educating themselves to a high standard and linking up with other like-minded professionals across the globe. The European and UK-backed initiative of MAOC-N based Lisbon, Portugal is key to their analysing of the minute movements of suspect ships. The agency was set up almost two decades ago specifically to tackle illicit drug trafficking on the seas around Europe. The Defence Forces has a long history of successful seabourne interdictions – arresting IRA gun runners and drug gangs. But the difference with Operation Piano was the truly joint operational nature of it. Many moving parts, all advancing in the same direction. There were years, for instance, of perfecting flying experience for Irish Air Corps pilots, with their expert personnel taking learnings from international partners at training and airshow events abroad. But the elephant in the room must get a mention too. The reality is the Air Corps and Navy are struggling with poor resourcing and a staffing crisis. The men and women of the Defence Forces achieved their side of the tale in spite of those funding shortfalls. The Journal has got unprecedented access to the elite Army Ranger Win g in the past as they practiced the very mission and manoeuvres they used to take the MV Matthew. But they too have been on a journey, now with better kit, tactics and a professional structure of enablers and support that rivals special forces units abroad. Acting as a buttress, behind it all, the State has instituted robust legislation to fight organised crime. The 2016 Criminal Justice Act carried with it sections around the prosecution of people for facilitating and participating in the activities of crime gangs. For the sailors, air crew, special forces operators and law enforcement officers this was a professional triumph – a moment they have spent their professional lives building towards. Advertisement A Ranger Wing operator approaches a cargo ship in an exercise off the East Coast. Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces The burden of policy Often there is a pejorative public discourse that takes the work of those managing the counter narcotics operations as something to be sneered at. Social media posts and public pronouncements by supposed experts speak about those endeavours as pointless. The gardaí and international law enforcement officers we spoke to have said that they see their efforts being about dealing with the international criminals who are profiting from the sale and supply of drugs such as cocaine. For them it is not a war on drugs but a war on organised crime. All say that their view is that the MV Matthew is just one step forward in a strategy to make Ireland as unattractive as possible for the cartels and to make sure they land their contraband elsewhere. The more Operation Pianos that are successful the better for that strategy and there has been substantial success. Several people remain before the courts after operations in Foynes, Wexford and west Cork. The difficulty is that is a long term strategy. The price of a bag of coke, generally around €80 has not dropped. Seizures are occuring on a regular basis across the State in communities both big and small, urban and rural. Many experts, both here and abroad, are advocating for a more nuanced approach. That organised crime groups would continue to be targeted but that their customers, when confronted by the State, would be offered a chance to avoid a criminal conviction in return for participation in a dissuasion system. The Journal has visited such a system in Portugal . Ireland is considering a similar approach. Some of those ideas have already arrived here and the services are beginning to move to a more holistic medical approach. Tony Duffin, formerly of Dublin's Ana Liffey Project and now a consultant working in drug policy, said the broad issue is that reports from European agencies show that more people than ever are using cocaine. Duffin, who worked with people suffering with addiction issues on the streets of Dublin, said that the recreational use of cocaine powder is one issue. He said the use of crack cocaine by heroin addicts to make a powerful concoction known as a 'speedball' is another. Duffin said drug dealers are reducing the price of these drugs to capture the custom of more of those vulnerable drug users. 'The price of cocaine powder is stable but the crack cocaine price fluctuated – not because of a shift in supply but because of the business model,' he said. 'The guards and customs are working really, really hard. No one is slacking here. It's just that it's in the face of a multi billion dollar industry. 'It's a complex issue. There's no silver bullet. There's no simple answer or simple explanation. 'It requires quite a complex response in many ways, although, really, at the end of the day, the health education approach is simply moving the response to drug use to the health side of the house, rather than the criminal justice side of the house,' he added. Duffin said the general accepted success rate of drugs captures is between one and ten percent for the shipments captured – that is at least 90% of drugs shipped to Ireland get through. Garda sources we spoke to believe the figures is somewhere around 5% for the shipments they catch. The MV Matthew berthed in Cobh, Co Cork. Niall O'Connor / The Journal Niall O'Connor / The Journal / The Journal Regardless of the policy side of the house the Joint Task Force has had further success this week. On Wednesday the initiative saw a huge capture of half a tonne or €31m worth of cocaine by gardaí, assisted by the Defence Forces and Customs. The hope is, among those involved in the operations here and abroad, that the more big shows they succeed on, the more likely it is that the problem will move elsewhere and away from Ireland. The issue is that the recreational appetite for the white powder will still remain. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Plot to nail Irish mobsters ‘higher up chain' in mega €157m coke swoop amid new suspect details after 8 underlings caged
GARDAI are working to nail the Irish gangsters involved in the attempt to smuggle €157 million of cocaine into the country as their underlings were locked up for a combined 129 years. The eight men involved in the massive botched drug trafficking operation were handed down sentences of 13.5 to 20 years at the 7 The MV Matthew was stormed leading to Ireland's record seizure of the drug Credit: Alamy Live News 7 Some €157 million of cocaine was found Credit: Gardai 7 The major operation took place in September 2023 Credit: Irish Defence Forces This includes an Irish suspect who helped acquire the second ship which was planned to meet He also issued the two men in charge of this 'sistership', named The Castlemore, with instructions using the handle 'Rain Man' on messaging groups. It's understood that this man fled to READ MORE IN NEWS A source told The Irish Sun: 'There are a number of individuals involved who worked higher up in the operation. 'A cell structure was used to specifically protect those people. But the gardai's investigations into them are very much ongoing.' The 2.2 tonnes of coke were intercepted and seized in September 2023 by a joint garda, Revenue and The six men onboard the MV Matthew, a Panamanian cargo ship, were hired in Dubai by a transnational organised Most read in Irish News They then flew to The MV Matthew ignored instructions from the LE William Butler Yeats naval vessel five times before it was stormed by Irish Navy Rangers on September 26 that year. Moment MV Matthew is lead to shore to be impounded after Irish Army Rangers storm container ship The original plan was that the MV Matthew would deliver the drugs to the second ship, the Castlemore. But rough seas and a number of difficulties caused the vessel to miss the connection and later to run aground on the coast of Wexford. The six on the MV Matthew all pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply between 24 and 26 September 2023. At sentencing, He was in communication with his bosses in the UAE every two to three days and was set to get a €50,000 bonus if they were successful. 7 Cumali Ozgen was caged for 20 years Credit: ProVision 7 Soheil Jelveh was handed down a 17.5 year sentence Credit: Journalist Collect Filipino Harold Estoesta, 31, was caged for 18 years after he engaged with the coast guard on the MV Matthew saying they would comply with orders to head towards He also ordered for the The Iranian captain of the ship and qualified maritime engineer Soheil Jelveh was He feigned an injury and was winched by the He had two suitcases, four phones including a satellite mobile and $53,298 in cash when taken away. 'VIGOROUS ATTEMPTS TO EVADE' Ukrainian Vitaliy Vlasoi, 33, who made 'vigorous attempts to evade' authorities on the boat as well as destroy drugs for criminal organisation was His fellow countryman Mykhailo Gavryk, 32, received 14 years' imprisonment after he admitted to moving the drugs on board the ship as he claimed he was 'following instructions', but cops accept he knew the least about the overall operation. Saeid Hassani, 40, who was the third officer, received a 15-year sentence. Two other men, who were on the boat the Castlemore that had been purchased in Castletownbere to collect drugs from the main vessel, were also sentenced for attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply. 'MESSAGE IS CLEAR' Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa, 62, with an address at Rudenka, Repina Str in Berdyansk, received a sentence of 14.5 years while Jamie Harbron, 31, from Billingham in the UK, got 13.5 years. Detective Superintendent Joe O'Reilly from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau said: 'To those involved in drug trafficking the message is clear, the full force of the Irish State supported by our international partners is against you. 'The reality facing you is security interdictions, special investigations, the Special Criminal Court, lengthy sentences and asset seizure.' 7 Vitaliy Vlasoi made vigorous attempts to evade authorities 7 Mykhalio Gavryk was jailed for 14 years Credit: 2023 PA Media, All Rights Reserved
