Leading Kinahan gang figure Sean McGovern being extradited from UAE to Ireland
Sean McGovern, previously named in the Special Criminal Court as being one of the most senior figures in the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, is being extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The 39-year-old, believed to be cartel leader Daniel Kinahan's right-hand man, is understood to be aboard a Defence Forces military aircraft currently making its way back to Ireland. The flight is expected to land in Dublin on Thursday.
McGovern had been in custody in Dubai since last October after being arrested there on foot of an Interpol red notice - a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.
The Dubliner is wanted to face charges in Ireland relating to the Kinahan-Hutch feud, including murder and involvement in a criminal gang.
He is wanted in the State to face charges over the murder of Noel Kirwan, an innocent man killed as part of the Hutch-Kinahan feud in December 2016.
He is expected to be formally arrested by An Garda Síochána once the plane lands here. Thereafter, he is expected to appear before the Special Criminal Court on Thursday.
More to follow . . .
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Irish Examiner
7 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Crews 'expendable' in massive cocaine smuggling operation, court hears
A Ukrainian man who spoke no English had serious concerns about the seaworthiness of a boat being used in a €157m cocaine smuggling operation. Gardaí had been watching Vitaliy Lapa, aged 62, and Jamie Harbron, aged 31, since they entered Ireland to embark on a drug-trafficking plot for a major organised crime group. However, they claimed they did not know what they were about to undertake, or the power of the organised crime group who would direct the operation — and leave them for dead — in stormy seas off Wexford. Ukrainian national Lapa, with an address at Rudenka, Repina St, in Berdyansk, and Harbron, aged 31, of South Ave, Billingham in the UK, pleaded guilty to attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply between September 21 and 25, 2023. They are two of eight men who have pleaded guilty to their involvement in a drug smuggling plot in which 2.25 tonnes of cocaine — the largest seizure in the history of the State — was found on the Panamanian-registered MV Matthew, a 190m long, 32m wide bulk cargo ship off the Cork coast. The record €157m haul of drugs seized from the 'mother ship', the MV Matthew in 2023. The 'daughter ship' was intended to be the Castlemore, a trawler purchased in Castletownbere, Co Cork, the court heard. File picture: An Garda Síochána Russia's invasion of Ukraine had pushed Lapa, a retired fishing captain, back out to work at sea to provide for his family. The conflict had imposed great financial pressures on his family, his counsel Colman Cody told the three-judge Special Criminal Court. People with vulnerabilities — most often addiction or financial problems — are often before the courts, he said. Fisherman told he would be paid €5,000 Lapa said he was told he would be paid €5,000, which 'considering the largesse from this enterprise, was a very paltry sum' for the risks of involvement, Mr Cody said. His English had been 'non-existent' when he came to Ireland in 2023 and he waited in hotels in Dublin and Newry for instructions from the organised crime group. He had been hired for his seafaring experience, the court heard. Concerns about Castlemore's seaworthiness However, when he viewed the fishing trawler, the Castlemore, in Castletownbere, West Cork, with a person of interest to gardaí, on September 21, 2023, he said he had concerns about the boat — believing its engine speed and capacity was insufficient, and unable to go above 10 knots. His concerns were ignored and the boat was bought. From the time it set sail, Lapa and Harbron met adversity, the court heard. English man on 'lowest rung' of operation Harbron had suffered addiction issues, the Special Criminal Court heard. He was 'the lowest rung' of the drug smuggling operation, his counsel Michael O'Higgins said. He was the first person to plead guilty and this may have been of value in other pleas forthcoming, Mr O'Higgins said. 'His role was very supine,' he said. He bought his own ferry ticket from Britain to Ireland on his own debit card just two days before departing on the Castlemore. He had no boating experience and claimed not to know what contraband the boat would carry, although he suspected it was drugs. The first time he became aware of its 'gargantuan size' was when he was on the Castlemore, he said. There was a clear 'difference between those pulling the strings and those on the end of the string' in this operation, Mr O'Higgins said. Harbron left school at age 14 with no GCSEs. He is a man without means, with no home or car, Mr O'Higgins said. He developed addiction issues, consuming cocaine, cannabis, and alcohol, and ran up a significant drug debt. His actions on the Castlemore were to pay off €10,000 of a €20,000 drug debt, the court heard. Once the pair hit rough weather off Wexford and subsequently ran aground, Harbron thought he was going to die. 'Notwithstanding the very serious risk to their lives, they were specifically instructed not to contact the Coast Guard,' Mr O'Higgins said. They were then given a hasty cover story by the organised crime gang directing the operation. The gang's treatment of the two men showed how 'expendable' they were, the court heard. The Castlemore was to be the 'daughter ship' to collect drugs from the MV Matthew as the 'mother ship'. 'These idiots were late again' While the MV Matthew and Castlemore were trying to meet off the Irish coast in increasingly stormy weather, growing frustration was shown by the captain on messaging apps with the men crewing the daughter ship, John Berry, prosecuting, said. He complained of how 'these idiots were late again'. He also expressed concern about the worsening weather, saying a drop-off would be impossible in the growing swell. On September 24, 2023, the Castlemore ran aground and its crew was recused by Irish authorities; they were winched off the boat before being arrested. When the MV Matthew heard that SOS call over the radio that night, they devised a plan to put the drugs in a lifeboat with Cumali Ozgen, who the court heard was the 'eyes and ears' of the cartel in Dubai, and lower them to sea, but this never happened. The Panamanian-registered cargo vessel the MV Matthew berthed at Marino Point in Cork Harbour in 2023 after the largest cocaine seizure in the history of the State. File picture: Dan Linehan Captain Soheil Jelveh then called for a medical evacuation, being winched off the ship by the Irish coastguard and taken to hospital — bringing four phones, more than $50,000 in cash, and two suitcases. He was later arrested in hospital. Meanwhile, the ship was trying to escape Irish territorial waters. They wrongly believed they could not be boarded by Irish authorities in international waters and planned to go to Sierra Leone for safety. The MV Matthew repeatedly tried to evade the naval vessel LÉ William Butler Yeats which was in hot pursuit, ignoring its instructions and attempting to burn the drugs aboard despite multiple warning shots. Elite army rangers then abseiled down from a helicopter onto the MV Matthew in dangerous conditions and seized the ship. Six of its crew would later plead guilty to involvement. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, and Vitaliy Vlasoi, both aged 32; Iranians Soheil Jelveh, aged 51, and Saeid Hassani, aged 39; Filipino Harold Estoesta, aged 31, and Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, aged 49, all pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply on board the MV Mathew between September 24 and 26 of 2023. Ms Justice Melanie Grealy has set sentencing for all eight men on July 4.
The Journal
11 hours ago
- The Journal
Court told how bungling drug traffickers suffered serious seasickness aboard crippled trawler
A COURT HAS heard how two bungling drug traffickers communicating with each other through Google translate and suffering with heavy seasickness struggled to save their own lives when the malfunctioning trawler they were aboard ran aground in high seas. Detective Superintendent Keith Halley was being cross examined by defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC at the Special Criminal Court sentence hearing for the eight men accused of playing a part in the MV Matthew operation. Halley led the garda operation in the capture of the MV Matthew in a daring Army Ranger Wing (ARW) operation off the Wexford and Waterford coast. He has spent the last two days outlining the facts of the mammoth transnational law enforcement effort to capture the bulk carrier drug runner. This morning the barristers for the accused began questioning Halley and also outlining their mitigation for their clients ahead of their sentencing next month. The accused from the Matthew are: Iranian Saied Hassani (39), Filipino Harold Estoesta (31), Ukrainian Mykhailo Gavryk (32), Ukrainian Vitalit Vlasoi (32), Iranian ship's captain Soheil Jelveh (51) and Dutch Cumali Ozgen (49). The men on the Castlemore trawler were Ukrainian Vitaliy Lapa (62) and UK national Jamie Harbron (31) – they were charged with attempting to possess drugs for sale or supply. The six onboard the Matthew are all charged with offences related to drug possession for sale or supply of the 2.2 tonnes or €157m worth of cocaine. The court has heard that the Castlemore was due to meet the MV Matthew in the Irish Sea and it was to receive the drugs from the bigger bulk carrier. The court had previously heard that Lapa and Harbron were with three other members of the drug trafficking gang. Lapa arrived in Ireland in July 2023 and was on standby to participate with the operation that was organised by Iranian and Dubai based criminals as well as other criminals in Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and other locations. Harbron, from Teeside near Middlesborough, arrived into Ireland on a ferry from Holyhead just days before the group of five headed south to the fishing village of Castletownbere in west Cork to purchase a trawler. O'Higgins, representing Harbron, who has a drugs addiction, had spoken about how his client had no experience of seafaring. He had joined the operation at the last minute and his counsel said that it was agreed that he would pay off €10,000 of a €20,000 drug debt. The court had heard from Halley that Lapa was a Ukrainian seafarer who was the experienced member of the two man trawler crew. He had been in Ireland from July 2023 waiting for to get the word to buy and board the trawler that would take posession of the drugs. The court heard details of how Lapa had been concerned about the condition of the Castlemore and whether it would be able to deal with the sea state and meet the Matthew. His concerns would ultimately prove well founded as the Castlemore floundered in high seas and wind off the Wexford coast. They were winched off by a Coastguard helicopter and it was a key moment for the Garda, Customs and Defence Forces team leading the Irish operation. Crew and Army Ranger Wing operators aboard the MV Matthew as it sails past Cobh. Alamy Alamy 'Completely expendable' O'Higgins said his client Harbron was at a low 'rung on the ladder' and was essentially a deckhand on the trawler. 'He was not a very good or competent deckhand,' he said. Advertisement He also said that Coast Guard winchman Gary O'Sullivan, said that when he got on board the Castlemore to rescue the men that their seafaring competency and skill level was low. 'They couldn't operate the radio, they couldn't find a life vest and couldn't operate a tow line,' he said. Det Supt Halley said that he believed their inability to fix a tow line was because of the sea sickness and physical distress from being battered at sea by storm conditions. O'Higgins said his client was under the direction of other people, particularly in Dubai over messaging apps. When they contacted their Dubai handlers they were initially told not to call for Coastguard help when they ran aground and began taking on water. The court heard that there was then a cover story concocted by those in control before they were rescued. When they were winched off the stricken trawler their phones were immediately removed from the chat groups used to communicate by the smugglers. 'This action might indicate where the men in the fishing boat were in the food chain – they were completely expendable,' O'Higgins added. Ranger Wing operators on the bow of the MV Matthew. Alamy Alamy Google translate Halley under cross examination told the court that Harbron's role was to receive instructions on messaging groups, using a Starlink system, to keep in contact. He was then to inform Lapa. The issue for them was that Lapa did not speak English – Halley told the court that Harbron used google translate to communicate with his fellow smuggler. Colman Cody Senior Counsel for Lapa said that his client was a Ukrainian national who was a qualified sea farer. He said in court that his client had concerns about the capability of the boat to got a required speed of ten knots. Halley had agreed with the defence barrister that Lapa was not aware of the full scale of the operation. Lapa, the court heard, had worked on fishing boats in Europe and Africa previously. Cody said his client was no longer working and was effectively a pensioner when he was recruited. He said the gang had sought him out as a 'person with a particular skill set'. Halley agreed that Lapa was at the lowest level in the enterprise and wasn't aware of the Irish criminal gang cell structure. Much of the day's hearing was taken up with mitigation from the eight barristers representing the eight men. They had asked for a degree of leniency from the three judge panel on grounds that the men saved the state a lengthy trial with their guilty pleas. There were also details of their life situations and difficulties with serving prison sentences in Ireland. Ms Justice Melanie Greally presiding with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone set a date for the sentencing of the men on 4 July next. 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
Irish Examiner
11 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
MV Matthew crew 'terrified' amid chaos of cocaine trafficking operation, court hears
Crates of cocaine, loaded under cover of night from an armed boat by some crew members while others aboard the MV Matthew were plied with alcohol 'as a distraction' began a descent into chaos which would ultimately lead to their arrest. 'Terrified' and 'alone at sea', the crew said they were then compelled to comply with the major drug trafficking operation directed from Dubai that resulted in Ireland's largest ever cocaine seizure off the Cork coast in September, 2023. Fear permeated the bulk cargo ship, the accused said, with some crew saying they were promised bonuses to 'keep their mouths shut' when they questioned the legality of the cargo. They were told it was 'spare parts' but many of the sailors admitted that they suspected it was illegal contraband — most likely drugs or weapons. Eight men have pleaded guilty to their involvement in a drug smuggling plot in which 2.25 tonnes of cocaine — the largest seizure in the history of the State — was found on the Panamanian registered MV Matthew, a 190-metre-long, 32-metre-wide bulk cargo ship off the Cork coast. All arrested aboard the MV Matthew said they flew to Dubai for interviews before flying on to South America to begin their job. All bar one — Cumali Ozgen — had significant experience at sea and many had multiple maritime qualifications. In mitigation, the men were described as people in difficult circumstances who provided diligently for their families, some of whom suffered ill health. But they were 'expendable' and the 'bottom of the food chain' for the organised crime group running the drug trafficking operation, the Special Criminal Court heard in mitigation. Those directing the operations from Dubai remained thousands of miles away from the ship and 'kept their hands clean'. Military personnel secured the MV Matthew and escorted it into Cork Harbour in September, 2023, after the suspected drugs were found on board in what turned out to be Ireland's largest ever cocaine seizure. File picture: PA Although Mr Ozgen may have been the 'eyes and ears' of those directing the operation from Dubai, there was no suggestion he had an organising role, defence barrister Brendan Grehan SC said. Mr Ozgen had accepted that he loaded three crates with drugs on the MV Matthew and was involved in moving the drugs by hand. He also admitted playing a part in helping to burn the drugs, getting paint thinner to try to intensify the flames, after the ship was stormed by elite army rangers in September 2023, bringing the criminal operation to a sudden and dramatic end. He admitted that he believed he would get a bonus of some 50,000 to 100,000 — euros or dollars. He had a prestigious cabin on the boat, although initially claimed he was a 'cleaner' which 'didn't make sense,' Mr Grehan said. Unlike anyone else on the boat, he had no seafaring experience, although he was described as an 'ordinary seaman'. His role to some extent was tending to the cargo aboard — the drugs, Mr Grehan said. He had no previous convictions and appears to have worked in a series of menial jobs in the past. 'I think it's well established that we're in a hierarchy for those involved in this kind of drug smuggling operation,' Mr Grehan said. He added: The owners or stakeholders keep their hands clean and very far away from any possible exposure. And the people on board were being directed by a company in Dubai and people offboard throughout the operation, he said. These voices from off the boat directed the crew not to comply with directions from the Irish naval ship, despite warning shots being fired. They also directed them to burn the drugs and get rid of all phones, he said. One 'caring' message told the crew that the organisers were not interested in 'one dollar out of this' and they did not want anyone going to jail, telling them to 'head to Sierra Leone'. 'Perhaps it is not surprising that people felt obliged to comply with the wishes of people in that organisation,' he said, given the power of the organised crime gang that appeared to be involved. 'Mr Cumali Ozgen asked me to apologise to the people of the court and to the people of Ireland. 'He got involved in a misguided attempt to get money to assist his family, particularly his son [who suffered a brain tumour and required surgery]. He regrets every day how stupid he was to get involved in this matter. He wanted to make money but finds himself getting no money, no financial reward and facing a lengthy custodial sentence. Harold Estoesta was a recently qualified 2nd Officer. He was assigned a communication role on the boat, perhaps because of his strong command of English, his barrister Michael Hourigan SC said. He was not happy about this but had to take orders, he said. He said he was told the boat had to take on a cargo of spare parts. Fears about possible contraband He was directed to assist on the night the cargo was brought aboard, but some of the other crew were to be given as much alcohol as possible. When he saw armed men on the boat unloading the cargo he became extremely concerned that they were loading contraband — drugs or weapons. But he was then 'terrified' and 'alone at sea' so felt he must comply. He was told that everyone would get bonuses, when he raised concerns that the cargo was not spare parts. 'Ships can be very dangerous places and countless sailors go missing every year,' his barrister, Mr Hourigan said. 'He made certain choices but I ask you to contextualise, fear was present on his part. 'Essentially, he was threatened on the boat,' he said. Mr Estoesta was of good character with no previous convictions. At 31, he was accomplished, having been a government scholar in the Philippines. The captain, Iranians Soheil Jelveh, 51, was highly qualified and had no previous links to organsied crime, barrister Keivon Sotoodeh said. His wife has cancer and his daughter, 22, is studying in Istanbul. His son is 20. He has been the family's sole breadwinner, he said. Two Ukrainians who had escaped to Romania after Russia invaded their country, were also arrested from the MV Matthew. Vitaliy Vlasoi, who turned 33 on Tuesday, was brought up by his mother, a kindergarten teacher, and studied at the maritime college in Odessa before beginning his professional life as a sailor. Seafaring was in his blood, the court heard, with multiple generations of his family working on boats. He married in 2019 and has a five-year-old daughter. His young family and his mother moved to Ireland since his arrest. His wife works 50 hours a week in a shop to support the family, travelling 1.5 hours by bus to get there. Not being there for his family weighs heavily on his mind, the court heard. His mother cried in court as she watched her son in the accused's box. Mykhailo Gavryk, 32, also from Odessa who fled to Romania when Russia invaded Ukraine, had been of good character, described as proactive, hard-working, creative and a good leader in references supplied to the court by educational institutions. He was the only man and the only breadwinner in his family, his barrister, Paul O'Higgins said. He has donated money to the Ukrainian army and a letter of thanks for this was supplied to the court. He handed over the pin to his phone to gardaí and used his own name on messaging apps on the boat. His knowledge and responsibility for the operation was 'at the bottom of the pile', and the least of all those aboard the MV Matthew, Mr O'Higgins said. The MV Matthew being escorted into Cork Harbour in September, 2023, after the suspected drugs were found on board in what turned out to be Ireland's largest ever cocaine seizure. File picture: PA Saied Hassani, 40, has a wife and six-year-old daughter in Iran, the Special Criminal Court heard. He has worked at sea almost consistently since graduating from maritime college, which he started in 2005. He has been away so much for work that he missed all of his daughter's birthdays. He has two sisters who need medical care — one is in a wheelchair and one has cancer — and he has worked to provide for his wider family since his father died. 'There is nothing in his records to suggest he has done anything like this before,' his barrister Mark Lynam SC said. He even thanked the criminals in Dubai 'for this opportunity' when he got the job, thinking it would help his family, Mr Lynam said. He had the lowest responsibility for the operation of all the officers on board, Mr Lynam said. Although he was found with €20,000 cash when the MV Matthew was seized, this was given to him by the captain before he was airlifted off the boat, he said. He had succumbed to the temptation not out of greed or for better lifestyle — but to support family, some of whom are sick, Mr Lynam said. Detective Sergeant Keith Halley, who led the historic drug bust, said that the operation was directed from Dubai but also had Iranian involvement. A transnational organised crime group with "immense capabilities, unlimited resources and a global reach," directed the MV Matthew drug smuggling operation from a cell in Dubai before it was stormed off the Cork coast. A cell structure within the organised crime group which manned the operation was evident, so if one cell was compromised, the overall damage would be limited, Det Supt Halley told the Special Criminal Court at the men's sentencing hearing on Tuesday. The MV Matthew, owned by a Dubai-based company, repeatedly tried to evade the Irish navy before it was boarded by Ireland's elite army ranger wing via helicopter in rough seas in September 2023 off the Cork coast. 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. Justice Melanie Grealy has set sentencing for all eight men on July 4.
