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The Independent
4 days 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.
Sunday World
4 days ago
- Business
- Sunday World
Gang with ‘unlimited resources' behind record-breaking €157m cocaine seizure
Eight men will be sentenced for their role in 2.2 tonne smuggling operation Military personnel on the MV Matthew after a 'significant quantity' of suspected drugs were found onboard in September 2023. Photo: PA An international crime gang with 'unlimited resources' operating a 'cell-structure' from Dubai controlled Ireland's record 2.2-tonne cocaine seizure, the Special Criminal Court has heard. Evidence was also given that a Dutch national arrested as part of the operation 'had worked for the cartel' and was the crime group's 'eyes and ears' on board the cargo vessel transporting the €157m drug shipment. Eight men are to be sentenced for their role in the drug enterprise, which was foiled in September 2023 after the Army Ranger Wing (ARW) stormed the MV Matthew off the east coast. Six of the crew have pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine on board the ship for the purpose of sale or supply. They are the ship's Iranian captain Soheil Jelveh (51), Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk (32) and Vitaliy Vlasoi (32), Iranian Saeid Hassani (39), Filipino Harold Estoesta (31) and Dutch national Cumali Ozgen (49). Two other men who operated a smaller fishing vessel that was expected to receive the drug shipment have pleaded guilty to attempting to possess cocaine for the purpose of sale or supply. Briton Jamie Harbron (32) and Ukrainian Vitaliy Lapa (62) were on board the Castlemore trawler, which was bought for €300,000 but ran aground off the Wexford coast. Harbron is the only defendant with previous convictions. Detective Superintendent Keith Halley yesterday told the non-jury court that the criminal organisation behind the drug shipment have 'immense capabilities, unlimited resources and a global reach' to traffic drugs. He told John Berry SC, prosecuting, that the gang operated a cell structure in Dubai so that if one part was compromised, it wouldn't damage the overall criminal organisation. Det Supt Halley of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau said that there was also a 'major Iranian nexus to this enterprise'. Investigations into other cells involved in the 2.2-tonne drug importation are also 'very much ongoing', he said. The crew members arrested on board the MV Matthew had flown to Dubai that August and were hired to crew the ship before travelling to Venezuela and boarding the vessel. Only one of the men, Ozgen, had travelled with the cargo ship from Brazil to Venezuela in July before it recrewed and set sail across the Atlantic, collecting the drug shipment on September 4 while at sea. The criminals overseeing the operation communicated with those on board via messaging apps. In one reassuring message to the crew, they wrote: 'OK, lads no need for luck. Really, this couldn't be any more straightforward. Just relax and this will all be over soon.' A joint task force involving gardaí, Revenue and the Defence Forces was established to intercept the vessel after receiving intelligence of it being involved in drug trafficking. Military personnel on the MV Matthew after a 'significant quantity' of suspected drugs were found onboard in September 2023. Photo: PA News in 90 June 4th The Castlemore had been due to meet with the MV Matthew to collect the drugs off the Irish coast but ran aground on September 24. Harbron and Lapa were winched from the vessel and later arrested, with a forensic analysis of their phones establishing that the drugs were still on the MV Matthew. Det Supt Halley said the crime group discussed placing the drugs in a lifeboat and releasing it at sea to reach another fast boat coming from Dublin, which he said showed the gang's resources and reach to establish a contingency plan. The ship's captain, Jelveh, had repeatedly expressed frustration during the operation about 'how matters were progressing' and was medically evacuated from the vessel on the evening of September 25. Mr Berry said that 'unusually' he took two suitcases with him, containing over $56,000 in cash as well as four phones, and was later arrested. The drug operation continued and the MV Matthew ignored repeated instructions to divert to Cork harbour with the Irish Navy firing several warning shots at the vessel. In the final instructions from the onshore gang leaders, they told the crew: 'Tell them to make fire and we go full speed to Sierra Leone.' They were also told: 'We don't want to make a single dollar profit on this operation', that 'we don't want you to go to jail for nothing', and to go 'full speed'. Det Supt Halley said it became clear that when an Air Corps helicopter carrying a unit from the ARW approached the vessel, the crew were given instructions to destroy all drugs on board. Det Supt Halley said it took 'great bravery from the ARW' to land onto the ship and that evasive manoeuvres by the MV Matthew was 'putting their lives in danger'. The soldiers observed smoke coming from a life raft and extinguished the flames. The ARW took control of the vessel and directed it to Cork. The court heard Ozgen claimed to have been hired as a cleaner but was staying in the most prestigious quarters on the vessel. He was described as the crime group's 'eyes and ears' on board and was in contact with people in Dubai overseeing the operation every three days. Ozgen told gardaí that he was to receive a bonus of up to $100,000 (€88,000) for his role. Det Supt Halley agreed with his defence counsel, Brendan Grehan SC, that the people on board were being 'directed from a couple of thousand miles away in Dubai'. Jelveh told gardaí that he was the captain but that he was in fear of Ozgen who was 'in charge'. Jelveh also said that Ozgen, referred to as 'Dutch Jimmy', was 'placed on board to kill him' and that 'the Dutch guy Cumali had worked for the cartel'. Jelveh was an experienced seaman who was also a soccer coach in Dubai. Det Supt Halley agreed with defence counsel Michael Bowman that the captain was quite concerned through his detention for his family living in Dubai 'once he became aware the drug seizure had taken place'. Gavryk had been a seaman all his life and the senior investigator agreed with his defence Hugh Hartnett that he was 'at the bottom of the pile' of the criminal enterprise. He told gardaí he had seen six large white bags on the deck and was told they were spare parts, before saying the captain offered him $5,000 to keep quiet. Vlasoi is from the Odesa region but moved to Romania after the Russian invasion. He told gardaí he had brought his concerns about the nature of the cargo to the ship's master and was offered a bonus 'in order to keep him quiet'. Hassani told gardaí that he checked the cargo for damage two days before the vessel was stormed and 'at that point knew it wasn't spare parts'. He said he was given $20,000 by the captain. Communications showed he was in contact with the directors of the criminal enterprise on-shore in which he was told he was '100pc' on the next boat. He had also enquired about bringing a firearm on the next voyage. Estoesta said he was offered a salary of $4,500. Evidence showed he was on the bridge after Jelveh was evacuated from the vessel and was in communication with the Irish Navy when they directed MV Matthew to Cork harbour. A voice note recovered also showed Estoesta pleading with the Navy not to fire at them and that they were a commercial ship, while telling his co-accused to prepare the fire to burn the cocaine. The sentencing hearing continues before the three-judge court, with Ms Justice Melanie Greally presiding, today.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Irish Army rangers risked their lives in boarding cargo ship carrying cocaine, court hears
Irish Army rangers put their lives at risk when they boarded the MV Matthew in treacherous weather while the crew of the vessel manoeuvred to evade capture, the Special Criminal Court has heard. Det Supt Keith Halley told a sentencing hearing on Tuesday that it took 'great bravery' to board the vessel, but despite the danger the rangers reacted quickly to prevent the 2.25 tonnes of cocaine on board from being destroyed by fire in September 2023. The court also heard an organised crime group in Dubai instructed the crew of the ship as it attempted to evade law enforcement and deliver the drugs to an Irish vessel. Despite repeated warnings from the Irish Naval Service, including warning shots, the person overseeing the operation told the crew to keep going and head for Sierra Leone, west Africa. READ MORE The original plan was that MV Matthew would deliver the drugs to a second ship, The Castlemore, but rough seas and technical difficulties caused the Irish vessel to miss the connection and it later run aground, with the two men on board winched on to the LE William Butler Yeats. Eight people were before the court on Tuesday for a sentencing hearing, having previously pleaded guilty to offences arising out of the seizure of an estimated €157 million worth of cocaine on board. Those appearing in front of the three-judge non-jury court were: Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk (32) and Vitaliy Vlasoi (33); Iranians Soheil Jelveh (52) and Saeid Hassani (39); Filipino Harold Estoesta (31); Dutch national Cumali Ozgen (50); Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa (62) and Jamie Harbron (31), of South Avenue, Billingham, in the UK. The court previously heard that while the MV Matthew was sailing under the flag of Panama, it was owned by a Dubai-based company known as Symphony Marine. It departed from Curacao, off the Venezuelan coast, and sailed across the Atlantic before arriving in Irish territorial waters. Det Supt Halley said he was working with the Drug and Organised Crime Bureau in 2023 and was part of a multinational effort to disrupt drug trafficking networks using intelligence reports from agencies around the world. Through that, the MV Matthew was identified as potentially being used to transport drugs across the Atlantic. The vessel used a technique called 'spoofing' to misrepresent its real location as it travelled from Venezuela and picked up the drugs at sea, using a crane to lift the heavy bales from one vessel to the other. On the afternoon of September 26th, 2023, the ship appeared to be heading for the open sea and a Naval Service commander took over the operation and issued several warnings. Mr Estoesta messaged the Naval Service saying they wanted to co-operate, but they were scared. To his crew he demanded they 'prepare for fire'. Det Halley said this was a clear instruction to destroy all the drugs. When the Army helicopter appeared, the MV Matthew began to manoeuvre to prevent the rangers from boarding. The movements of the ship made it almost impossible for the helicopter to position itself to allow for a safe boarding. Despite what they faced, the Army rangers boarded safely, saw the fire and put it out, Det Halley said. The sentencing hearing continues.
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
MV Matthew crew hired by crime group in Dubai, court told
Six men who crewed a Panamanian cargo ship with the largest cocaine seizure in Irish history were hired in Dubai by a transnational organised crime group before flying to South America for the international drug trafficking operation. In total, eight men have admitted their roles in trying to smuggle 2.2 tonnes of cocaine worth over €157m before it was seized following a joint garda, customs and Defence Forces operation in September 2023. The six arrested on board the MV Mathew ignored instructions from the LE William Butler Yeats naval vessel five times and tried to burn the drugs on board before a team of Army Rangers abseiled aboard in treacherous conditions and secured the ship. Two other men bought a boat in Castletownbere to collect the drugs from the mothership, but it ran aground off the coast of Wexford and they had to be rescued by the coastguard. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk and Vitaliy Vlasoi, who are both 32, 51-year-old Soheil Jelveh and 39-year-old Saeid Hassani, 31-year-old Harold Estoesta and 49-year-old Cumali Ozgen, who is from the Netherlands, all pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply on board the MV Mathew between 24 and 26 September 2023. Vitaliy Lapa, 62, who is also from Ukraine with an address at Rudenko, Repina Str in Berdyansk and 31-year-old Jamie Harbron of South Avenue, Billingham in the UK, pleaded guilty to attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply between 21 and 25 September 2023. The drugs gang communicated on WhatsApp groups and were directed by a transnational organised crime group based in Dubai, which Detective Superintendent Keith Halley told the court today had "immense capabilities, unlimited resources and a global reach". "It operated a cell structure so if one cell was compromised, the damage to the organisation was limited," he said. The court heard the MV Mathew was given clear instructions to evade law enforcement right up to the time the helicopter with the Army Rangers arrived. The messages included reassurances such as "just relax and this will all be over soon", "I spoke with Happy, don't worry everything seems to be nice" and "once you're out and away mate". They were also told erroneously that the Irish authorities could not board the vessel in international waters and tried to evade capture by heading for Sierra Leone. Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, who was known as "Jimmy", was the cartel's man on the ship, "the eyes and ears of the criminal organisation on board". He was in phone contact with someone in Dubai every three days and accommodated in the prestigious "pilot's cabin" in spite of the fact that he had no sea experience. He had no other function on board but to correspond with someone outside and was in line for a €50,000 bonus upon completion of the operation. There were others on board who were part of the crew but had no part of the drugs smuggling operation. Ozgen helped load the drugs onto the ship, move them while on board and provided the paint thinner to burn them. Captain of the ship Soheil Jelveh, who was a qualified maritime engineer, admitted that he was aware the consignment on the ship was not "spare parts" but said he took instructions and did what he was told. However, he said he was in fear and that they could kill him or his family in Dubai at any time. He also said the "Jimmy, the Dutch guy" had been put on board to kill him so he stayed in his room. He became ill and was winched off the ship by the Irish coastguard before it was boarded and seized and was found with two suitcases, four phones including a satellite and encrypted phone and $57,000 in cash. Gardaí accepted that he had contrived the illness to get off the ship and took the money as payment for his work. He has no previous convictions. Mykhailo Gavryk was the second officer on board and had been a seaman all his life. He admitted he moved drugs on board the ship and although he gave his phone and his PIN to gardaí, the contents had largely been deleted. He said he followed instructions from others and gardaí accepted he knew the least about the drugs smuggling operation. The sentencing hearing continues tomorrow.
BBC News
06-02-2025
- BBC News
MV Matthew: Four plead guilty over €157m cocaine seizure on ship
Four men have plead guilty to having 2.2 tonnes of cocaine for supply on board a Panamanian cargo ship in September 2023.A multi-agency operation off the Irish coast resulted in the largest such seizure in the history of the four were due to go on trial having earlier this week failed in a bid to have the charges against them four men - Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, 32, and Vitaliy Vlasoi, 32; Iranian Soheil Jelveh, 51, and Dutch national 49-year-old Cumali Ozgen - appeared before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Thursday, where they were each arraigned on one of three charges against them. Eight men in total are facing a number of charges in relation to the drugs seizure. The 2.25 tonnes of cocaine that was seized from the MV Matthew, a Panamanian-registered bulk carrier, has an estimated value of more than €157 million. The ship was boarded in a dramatic operation by the Army Rangers, a specialist wing of the Irish Defence Forces, in September 2023, after the ship failed to stop following warning shots. The men had applied to the non-jury Special Criminal Court on January 13 to have the charges against them Thursday, Sean Guerin SC, for the State, said the four guilty pleas were acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions on a full-facts Justice Melanie Greally remanded the four defendants in custody until 24 February, when their cases are listed for mention with a view to fixing a sentence date for next term. Two other defendants Iranian Saeid Hassani, 39, and Filipino Harold Estoesta, 31, will stand trial on Monday before the Special Criminal Court arising from the seizure of the two men were remanded in custody until then.A seventh man, Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa, 62, with an address at Rudenka, Repina Str in Berdyansk, was previously arraigned on one of the two charges against Lapa pleaded guilty that on dates between 21 and 25 September 2023, he attempted to possess cocaine for the purpose of selling or otherwise supplying to Lapa was also facing a charge that between 15 July and 23 September 2023, both dates inclusive, within the state, with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, that he participated in, or contributed to, activity intending to, or being reckless as to whether such participation or contribution could facilitate the commission of a serious offence by that criminal organisation or any of its members. Mr Lapa was the only one of the accused men who did not make an application under the Criminal Procedure Act to have his case national Jamie Harbron, 31, has also pleaded guilty to an offence arising from the will appear before the court later this year for a sentencing Harbron, of South Avenue in Billingham, pleaded guilty that on a date between 21 and 25 September 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.
