Latest news with #MVMatthew
Irish Examiner
17 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.
BreakingNews.ie
20 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Drugs shipment crew were 'completely expendable', garda says
Two men who were to take 2.25 tonnes of cocaine from the MV Matthew and bring it to the UK were so expendable that when their ship ran aground in rough seas, their employers deleted them from a group chat and planned to complete the operation without them, the Special Criminal Court has heard. Det Superintendent Keith Halley told the three-judge court that Englishman Jamie Harbron was on the "lowest rung" in the criminal enterprise to transport the massive drugs haul across the Atlantic, into Europe. Advertisement Harbron was hired as a deck hand on board the Castlemore, an Irish ship which was supposed to meet the MV Matthew and take the drugs to the UK, the detective said Under cross-examination, Det Halley told Harbron's defence counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, that Harbron's jobs appeared to include "greasing things up" or tidying the ship. He did not appear to be a "competent or good deck hand," Supt Halley said. He could not operate the radio, find the life vests or secure a tow rope thrown from a coastguard boat in an attempt to rescue the vessel. Having been on rough seas from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening, Harbron was "very sick" and told gardai he believed he was going to die. Harbron was finally winched to safety by a coastguard helicopter and was "very, very grateful" to his rescuers, the Superintendent said. Advertisement When the Dubai-based organisers of the criminal enterprise realised the Castlemore had run aground, they initially told the ship's captain, Vitaliy Lapa, not to call the coastguard. They then removed the Castlemore from the virtual chat room used to communicate with the vessels and told the MV Matthew they would find another boat to make the rendezvous. Supt Halley agreed that this indicated Harbron and Lapa were "completely expendable". Harbron appeared to have become involved in the plot at the last minute and had told gardai that he was promised €10,000 would be wiped off a €20,000 drug debt. Lapa, the detective said, speaks no English and the two men communicated using Google Translate. The Dubai-based leadership had an "erroneous belief" that the messages they had sent to the Castlemore would automatically delete after one hour, Supt Halley said. Advertisement However, gardaí retrieved the messages, which were used as part of the evidence in the case. Eight men have pleaded guilty to offences arising from the seizure of €157 million worth of drugs on board the MV Matthew. Members of the Irish Army Rangers wing of the Defence Forces boarded the ship on September 26th, 2022 in a daring mission in rough seas as the MV Matthew manoeuvred to try to evade capture. The ship had departed from Curacao, off the Venezuelan coast and sailed across the Atlantic before arriving in Irish territorial waters. Lenient sentencing Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk (32) and Vitaliy Vlasoi (33); Iranians Soheil Jelveh (52) and Saeid Hassani (40); Filipino Harold Estoesta (31) and Dutch national Cumali Ozgen (50) pleaded guilty that between September 24th and 26th 2023, both dates inclusive, at locations outside the State, on board the vessel "MV Matthew" they possessed cocaine for sale or supply, in contravention of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations. Advertisement Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa (62), with an address at Rudenka, Repina Str in Berdyansk, and Jamie Harbron (31) of South Avenue, Billingham in the UK pleaded guilty that on dates between September 21st and 25th, 2023 they attempted to possess cocaine for sale or supply, in contravention of the Misuse of Drugs Act. Lawyers for all eight asked the court to be as lenient as possible in sentencing. For mitigation, they rely on their guilty pleas and the fact that their time in prison will be spent in a foreign country away from their families. None of those before the court were the leaders of the criminal organisation involved in transporting the drugs but were hired to perform specific roles on the two ships, lawyers said. The only defendant with a record of offending is Jamie Harbron, whose convictions include cannabis and cocaine possession in the UK. Lawyers for the others submitted that their clients were of good character before this offence, but they "succumbed" to temptation, hoping to resolve various financial difficulties. Advertisement Brendan Grehan SC, for Kumali Ozgen, said his client's job on board the MV Matthew was to "mind the cargo". He was, counsel said, the "eyes and ears" of those directing the operation from Dubai and had no seafaring experience. Ozgen admitted to gardai that he loaded crates of drugs onto the ship and used paint thinners to try to burn the drugs when the Irish Navy began its pursuit. He also said he was to be paid €50,000 to €100,000 if successful, but has received nothing. Mr Grehan said Ozgen took the job in a "misguided attempt" to provide for his family, in particular his son, who suffers from poor health. Hugh Hartnett SC, for Gavryk, said his client was of excellent character before this offence. Michael Hourigan SC, for Estoesta, said his client had provided gardai with valuable information, including that when the drugs were loaded onto the MV Matthew, ordinary crew members were plied with alcohol to distract them. Mark Lynam SC for Hassani, said this was the first time his client was involved in "anything of this kind". He had been a sailor of good character all his life but "succumbed to temptation", believing the money from this job would allow him to spend more time with his wife and family. Colman Cody SC, for Lapa, said his client was a hard-working, law-abiding citizen and a loving husband and father. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Lapa found himself in a "vulnerable financial position". Despite having retired as a fishing captain, he was compelled to go abroad to provide for his family. "He was vulnerable to certain pressures, and that ought to be taken into account," counsel said. Paul O'Higgins SC, for Vlasoi, said his client was the first officer on the boat but had led a blameless life before. He had limited knowledge of the operation, counsel said. Keivon Sotoodeh BL, for Jelveh, said his client was the captain of the MV Matthew but was acting on orders from Dubai. The court previously heard that Jelveh became frustrated with the instructions he was receiving and called the coastguard for an emergency medical evacuation. A coastguard helicopter lifted Jelveh from the MV Matthew before the ship was engaged by Irish Naval vessel the LE William Butler Yeats. Ms Justice Melanie Greally, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone, will deliver the sentences on July 4th.
The Independent
21 hours ago
- The Independent
Crew hired for ship with largest cocaine seizure were under ‘financial pressure'
Several men hired by an international organised crime group in Dubai to crew a ship with the largest cocaine seizure in Irish history were under financial pressure and succumbed to the temptation to earn thousands, a court has heard. The Special Criminal Court in Dublin heard the circumstances of how the men became involved in the massive drug trafficking operation on the MV Matthew, which was found to be carrying more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine in September 2023. Eight men admitted their roles in trying to smuggle cocaine worth over 157 million euros (£132 million). The ship was intercepted and seized following a massive joint Defence Forces, garda and customs operation. The Irish Army Ranger Wing has been praised in court for putting their lives at risk when they boarded the vessel in severe weather conditions while the crew attempted to steer the ship to high seas. Six of the men arrested on board the MV Matthew had ignored repeated warnings from the LE William Butler Yeats naval vessel. Two other men were rescued from a boat that was bought in Castletownbere, which had been purchased to collect drugs from the main vessel. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk and Vitaliy Vlasoi, both 32; Iranians Soheil Jelveh 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, pleaded guilty to attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply between 21 and 25 September 2023. Jamie Harbron, aged 31, of South Avenue, Billingham in the UK, also pleaded guilty that on a date between September 21 and September 25, 2023, both dates inclusive, he attempted to have cocaine in his possession for the purpose of sale or supply, an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Colman Cody SC, counsel for Lapa, told the sentence hearing that his client was not aware of the full scale of the operation and did not have full knowledge of the operation or the structures of the criminal organisation. The married father-of-two was told he would be paid 5,000 euros for his involvement in the operation. Lapa had been in the merchant navy and had previously worked on fishing boats. He had recently retired and was a pensioner in Ukraine. Detective Superintendent Keith Halley agreed that Lapa was at the lower end of the structure. Estoesta was the second officer on board the vessel, who said he had met some of the crew in Venezuela. The court heard how some members of the hired crew were distracted at night while those from the criminal enterprise had loaded some of the cargo containing drugs on to the vessel. They claimed that they had been entertained with alcohol while the so-called spare parts were being transferred on to the ship. Estoesta admitted he was concerned it was more than spare parts, as he saw armed men on the other ship, which was offloading the large cargo. He said he didn't argue as he was terrified and was alone in the ocean. He thought the cargo may have contained contraband, like weapons or cigarettes. His barrister, Michael Hourigan, said that he had a genuine fear of the consequences if he did not follow orders. Vlasoi, a 33-year-old sailor, became involved in the operation after he was contacted when he posted his sailing credentials online. The court heard that he is married with a five-year-old child, who is now living in Ireland with the accused's mother. Paul O'Higgins SC for Vlasoi told the court that his client's 'realisation' of the situation came too late when he discovered that the enterprise was being run at a higher level by people not on the ship. He told gardai that there were outside forces in control. He was told he would be paid 5,000 euros for his part in the operation. Mr O'Higgins said that his client found himself in a vulnerable financial position as he tried to provide for his family during the war in Ukraine. Hassani, a third officer on board the vessel, qualified from maritime college in 2009 and had been at sea constantly for over a decade. Mark Lyam SC, for the 40-year-old, told the court he is married with a six-year-old daughter, and that he had financial responsibility to provide for his family, including medical care. Mr Lyam said he succumbed to temptation because of that financial pressure and wanting to spend more time with his family. The court was also told that he sent a text to someone in Dubai thanking them for the opportunity. Hassani, who was airlifted from the boat, was described as being the lowest rank in terms of officers. Meanwhile, Michael O'Higgins SC, counsel for Harbron, described his client as a drug abuser who was 'induced' into the operation to clear a drug debt. Described as being a last-minute entry into the enterprise, he was offered a 10,000 euro reduction on his drug debt of 20,000 euros. From Scotland, the court heard how Harbron, who was on board the second ship, the Castlemor, had no sailing experience, was not able to operate the radio and was not able to locate the life vest on board. Mr O'Higgins said he had no role in organising, financing or giving directions. Harbron suspected the cargo on board the larger vessel was drugs, but he said he was shocked when he saw the size of it. Brendan Grehan SC, counsel for Dutch national Ozgen, admitted to having loaded three crates of drugs onto the vessel and also played a part in trying to burn drugs by getting paint thinners. He said he expected to earn a bonus of between 50,000 euros and 100,000 euros. Mr Grehan said that Ozgen, who had no sailing experience, has a son with a serious health issue following an operation on a brain tumour. 'It was partly the attraction in terms of getting involved in that he would get money to help (his son) out,' Mr Grehan added. He told the court that his client was involved in a misguided attempt to get money for his family. Keivon Sotoodeh, junior counsel for Jelveh, told the court that his client is a 51-year-old with two adult children. Mr Sotoodeh said Jelveh was simply following orders and accepts he got himself involved in this, however, he 'wasn't at the top of the food chain'. The matter has been put back to July 4. The men have been remanded on the same terms and conditions.
Powys County Times
21 hours ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Crew hired for ship with largest cocaine seizure were under ‘financial pressure'
Several men hired by an international organised crime group in Dubai to crew a ship with the largest cocaine seizure in Irish history were under financial pressure and succumbed to the temptation to earn thousands, a court has heard. The Special Criminal Court in Dublin heard the circumstances of how the men became involved in the massive drug trafficking operation on the MV Matthew, which was found to be carrying more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine in September 2023. Eight men admitted their roles in trying to smuggle cocaine worth over 157 million euros (£132 million). The ship was intercepted and seized following a massive joint Defence Forces, garda and customs operation. The Irish Army Ranger Wing has been praised in court for putting their lives at risk when they boarded the vessel in severe weather conditions while the crew attempted to steer the ship to high seas. Six of the men arrested on board the MV Matthew had ignored repeated warnings from the LE William Butler Yeats naval vessel. Two other men were rescued from a boat that was bought in Castletownbere, which had been purchased to collect drugs from the main vessel. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk and Vitaliy Vlasoi, both 32; Iranians Soheil Jelveh 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, pleaded guilty to attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply between 21 and 25 September 2023. Jamie Harbron, aged 31, of South Avenue, Billingham in the UK, also pleaded guilty that on a date between September 21 and September 25, 2023, both dates inclusive, he attempted to have cocaine in his possession for the purpose of sale or supply, an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Colman Cody SC, counsel for Lapa, told the sentence hearing that his client was not aware of the full scale of the operation and did not have full knowledge of the operation or the structures of the criminal organisation. The married father-of-two was told he would be paid 5,000 euros for his involvement in the operation. Lapa had been in the merchant navy and had previously worked on fishing boats. He had recently retired and was a pensioner in Ukraine. Detective Superintendent Keith Halley agreed that Lapa was at the lower end of the structure. Estoesta was the second officer on board the vessel, who said he had met some of the crew in Venezuela. The court heard how some members of the hired crew were distracted at night while those from the criminal enterprise had loaded some of the cargo containing drugs on to the vessel. They claimed that they had been entertained with alcohol while the so-called spare parts were being transferred on to the ship. Estoesta admitted he was concerned it was more than spare parts, as he saw armed men on the other ship, which was offloading the large cargo. He said he didn't argue as he was terrified and was alone in the ocean. He thought the cargo may have contained contraband, like weapons or cigarettes. His barrister, Michael Hourigan, said that he had a genuine fear of the consequences if he did not follow orders. Vlasoi, a 33-year-old sailor, became involved in the operation after he was contacted when he posted his sailing credentials online. The court heard that he is married with a five-year-old child, who is now living in Ireland with the accused's mother. Paul O'Higgins SC for Vlasoi told the court that his client's 'realisation' of the situation came too late when he discovered that the enterprise was being run at a higher level by people not on the ship. He told gardai that there were outside forces in control. He was told he would be paid 5,000 euros for his part in the operation. Mr O'Higgins said that his client found himself in a vulnerable financial position as he tried to provide for his family during the war in Ukraine. Hassani, a third officer on board the vessel, qualified from maritime college in 2009 and had been at sea constantly for over a decade. Mark Lyam SC, for the 40-year-old, told the court he is married with a six-year-old daughter, and that he had financial responsibility to provide for his family, including medical care. Mr Lyam said he succumbed to temptation because of that financial pressure and wanting to spend more time with his family. The court was also told that he sent a text to someone in Dubai thanking them for the opportunity. Hassani, who was airlifted from the boat, was described as being the lowest rank in terms of officers. Meanwhile, Michael O'Higgins SC, counsel for Harbron, described his client as a drug abuser who was 'induced' into the operation to clear a drug debt. Described as being a last-minute entry into the enterprise, he was offered a 10,000 euro reduction on his drug debt of 20,000 euros. From Scotland, the court heard how Harbron, who was on board the second ship, the Castlemor, had no sailing experience, was not able to operate the radio and was not able to locate the life vest on board. Mr O'Higgins said he had no role in organising, financing or giving directions. Harbron suspected the cargo on board the larger vessel was drugs, but he said he was shocked when he saw the size of it. Brendan Grehan SC, counsel for Dutch national Ozgen, admitted to having loaded three crates of drugs onto the vessel and also played a part in trying to burn drugs by getting paint thinners. He said he expected to earn a bonus of between 50,000 euros and 100,000 euros. Mr Grehan said that Ozgen, who had no sailing experience, has a son with a serious health issue following an operation on a brain tumour. 'It was partly the attraction in terms of getting involved in that he would get money to help (his son) out,' Mr Grehan added. He told the court that his client was involved in a misguided attempt to get money for his family. Keivon Sotoodeh, junior counsel for Jelveh, told the court that his client is a 51-year-old with two adult children. Mr Sotoodeh said Jelveh was simply following orders and accepts he got himself involved in this, however, he 'wasn't at the top of the food chain'. The matter has been put back to July 4.
Belfast Telegraph
a day ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Crew hired for ship with largest cocaine seizure were under ‘financial pressure'
The Special Criminal Court in Dublin heard the circumstances of how the men became involved in the massive drug trafficking operation on the MV Matthew, which was found to be carrying more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine in September 2023. Eight men admitted their roles in trying to smuggle cocaine worth over 157 million euros (£132 million). The ship was intercepted and seized following a massive joint Defence Forces, garda and customs operation. The Irish Army Ranger Wing has been praised in court for putting their lives at risk when they boarded the vessel in severe weather conditions while the crew attempted to steer the ship to high seas. Six of the men arrested on board the MV Matthew had ignored repeated warnings from the LE William Butler Yeats naval vessel. Two other men were rescued from a boat that was bought in Castletownbere, which had been purchased to collect drugs from the main vessel. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk and Vitaliy Vlasoi, both 32; Iranians Soheil Jelveh 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, pleaded guilty to attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply between 21 and 25 September 2023. Jamie Harbron, aged 31, of South Avenue, Billingham in the UK, also pleaded guilty that on a date between September 21 and September 25, 2023, both dates inclusive, he attempted to have cocaine in his possession for the purpose of sale or supply, an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Colman Cody SC, counsel for Lapa, told the sentence hearing that his client was not aware of the full scale of the operation and did not have full knowledge of the operation or the structures of the criminal organisation. The married father-of-two was told he would be paid 5,000 euros for his involvement in the operation. Lapa had been in the merchant navy and had previously worked on fishing boats. He had recently retired and was a pensioner in Ukraine. Detective Superintendent Keith Halley agreed that Lapa was at the lower end of the structure. Estoesta was the second officer on board the vessel, who said he had met some of the crew in Venezuela. The court heard how some members of the hired crew were distracted at night while those from the criminal enterprise had loaded some of the cargo containing drugs on to the vessel. They claimed that they had been entertained with alcohol while the so-called spare parts were being transferred on to the ship. Estoesta admitted he was concerned it was more than spare parts, as he saw armed men on the other ship, which was offloading the large cargo. He said he didn't argue as he was terrified and was alone in the ocean. He thought the cargo may have contained contraband, like weapons or cigarettes. His barrister, Michael Hourigan, said that he had a genuine fear of the consequences if he did not follow orders. Vlasoi, a 33-year-old sailor, became involved in the operation after he was contacted when he posted his sailing credentials online. The court heard that he is married with a five-year-old child, who is now living in Ireland with the accused's mother. Paul O'Higgins SC for Vlasoi told the court that his client's 'realisation' of the situation came too late when he discovered that the enterprise was being run at a higher level by people not on the ship. He told gardai that there were outside forces in control. He was told he would be paid 5,000 euros for his part in the operation. Mr O'Higgins said that his client found himself in a vulnerable financial position as he tried to provide for his family during the war in Ukraine. Hassani, a third officer on board the vessel, qualified from maritime college in 2009 and had been at sea constantly for over a decade. Mark Lyam SC, for the 40-year-old, told the court he is married with a six-year-old daughter, and that he had financial responsibility to provide for his family, including medical care. Mr Lyam said he succumbed to temptation because of that financial pressure and wanting to spend more time with his family. The court was also told that he sent a text to someone in Dubai thanking them for the opportunity. Hassani, who was airlifted from the boat, was described as being the lowest rank in terms of officers. Meanwhile, Michael O'Higgins SC, counsel for Harbron, described his client as a drug abuser who was 'induced' into the operation to clear a drug debt. Described as being a last-minute entry into the enterprise, he was offered a 10,000 euro reduction on his drug debt of 20,000 euros. From Scotland, the court heard how Harbron, who was on board the second ship, the Castlemor, had no sailing experience, was not able to operate the radio and was not able to locate the life vest on board. Mr O'Higgins said he had no role in organising, financing or giving directions. Harbron suspected the cargo on board the larger vessel was drugs, but he said he was shocked when he saw the size of it. Brendan Grehan SC, counsel for Dutch national Ozgen, admitted to having loaded three crates of drugs onto the vessel and also played a part in trying to burn drugs by getting paint thinners. He said he expected to earn a bonus of between 50,000 euros and 100,000 euros. Mr Grehan said that Ozgen, who had no sailing experience, has a son with a serious health issue following an operation on a brain tumour. 'It was partly the attraction in terms of getting involved in that he would get money to help (his son) out,' Mr Grehan added. He told the court that his client was involved in a misguided attempt to get money for his family. Keivon Sotoodeh, junior counsel for Jelveh, told the court that his client is a 51-year-old with two adult children. Mr Sotoodeh said Jelveh was simply following orders and accepts he got himself involved in this, however, he 'wasn't at the top of the food chain'. The matter has been put back to July 4. The men have been remanded on the same terms and conditions.
