Latest news with #SoheilJelveh
Sunday World
3 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.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Captain of MV Matthew carrying 2.2 tonnes of cocaine ‘feared for his life'
A retired marine engineer who was captain of the MV Matthew while it was carrying more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine claimed that he feared for his life and his family if he did not follow instructions, a court has heard. Iranian Soheil Jelveh, 51, said there was an element of fear on board the vessel, and admitted he was aware that the consignment on the ship was not 'spare parts'. He said that he was captain in name but he had to follow orders like everyone else. The non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin was told on Tuesday that he was in fear of being killed and that his family, who were in Dubai, would also be killed. The court was also told that a number of the crew were hired by a transnational organised crime group for the operation. Jelveh is one of seven men charged with offences arising from the seizure of 2.25 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated value of more than 157 million euros (£132 million), which was on board the ship the MV Matthew, a Panamanian-registered bulk carrier. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, and Vitaliy Vlasoi, both 32; Iranians 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. Detective Superintendent Keith Halley told the court in Dublin that messages sent to crew members of the MV Matthew told them to consider moving the bags containing drugs on to a lifeboat and then release it into the sea as Irish authorities got closer to the vessel. The court heard that Ozgen, who was described in court by his barrister Brendan Grehan as having a lack of sea experience, was to go into the lifeboat with 22 tonnes of drugs in 'one of the worst storms'. Six men who were arrested on board ignored instructions from the LE William Butler Yeats naval vessel a number of times. Detective Halley, who was a Revenue Customs liaison for Irish police, gave evidence that the authorities received information about a fishing trawler being used to import drugs, which led to the formation of a joint task force between gardai, the Revenue Customs Service and the Irish Naval Service. Jelveh, a father of two, claimed he felt violated by people in the 'head office' who were not present on the vessel, and that there was a threat over him that was not there in relation to his co-accused. Jelveh qualified as a maritime engineer in 1997 and worked as a marine engineer until 2008 and moved through the ranks to became first deck officer. He became captain in 2019. He had since retired and was working as a football coach. Prosecution barrister John Berry SC told the court that the crew had attempted to set the drugs on fire as they attempted to flee Irish authorities and head into the high seas. Messages discovered in a WhatsApp group, called The Deck Officers, revealed how the crew was instructed to be ready to burn the cargo and head towards Sierra Leone if a helicopter tried to intercept the ship. The crew were told to 'make sure everything is burnt' and to use paint thinner to set the cargo alight. They were also ordered by people not on board the vessel not to communicate with Irish authorities. The crew had been ordered by authorities to steer the vessel towards the Irish coast and dock at Cork. The court heard that they were willing to comply with the instructions, however, they were going full steam ahead to the high seas and were planning on travelling to Sierra Leone. The court was told that the crew had been making efforts to deter the arrival of the Army Ranger Wing to allow for the removal of the drugs. Footage and photographs shown to the court revealed there was smoke coming from the lifeboat after an attempt was made to set the drugs alight. Cans of paint, used to set it on fire, were also found on the life raft. Detective Halley also told the court today that the people instructing the crew had 'immense capabilities, unlimited resources and a global reach'. He said it became apparent through the message groups that those who were controlling the vessel and sending instructions on what to do were based in Dubai. They had sent messages instructing the crew to keep going, including reassuring messages like 'just relax and this will all be over soon'. They also gave the wrong information that Irish authorities could not board the vessel. The sentence hearing is taking place before Ms Justice Melanie Grealy Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone. The sentencing hearing continues on Wednesday.
Irish Times
3 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.
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
'This will all be over soon', crime bosses told men before 2.5 tonne cocaine seizure, court hears
'No need for luck... just relax and this will all be over soon," was a message sent from a suspected crime boss to the men now charged with the State's largest cocaine haul, in the hours before the ship in which they were sailing was stormed. The MV Matthew, owned by a Dubai-based company, was raided at gunpoint by Ireland's elite army ranger wing in September 2023, off the Cork coast. The transnational organised crime group which manned the operation showed "immense" capability, with significant resources and global reach, Detective Superintendent Keith Halley told a sentencing hearing for eight men charged in connection with the seizure at the Special Criminal Court. A cell structure within the group was also evident, so if one cell was compromised, the damage to the organised crime group would be limited, he said. One of these cells was in Dubai Det Spt Halley said, adding that the investigation is "very much ongoing" regarding the cell structure in the criminal organisation. There was also "a major Iranian nexus in this operation," he told the Special Criminal Court. Eight men were charged after 2.25 tonnes of cocaine was seized from the Panamanian registered MV Matthew, a 190-metre-long, 32-metre-wide bulk cargo ship. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, aged 32, Vitaliy Vlasoi, aged 32, and Vitaliy Lapa, aged 62; Iranians Soheil Jelveh, aged 51, and Saeid Hassani, aged 39; Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, aged 50, Filipino Harold Estoesta, aged 31, and UK national Jamie Harbron, aged 31, have pleaded guilty to some charges and are being sentenced in the Special Criminal Court this week. Defence barrister Brendan Grehan SC said it appeared that those controlling the operation were directing it from thousands of miles away in Dubai. Those people acted like "a coach giving a pep talk" telling the people on board to keep going, no matter what, Mr Grehan said. And in terms of criminal enterprises, the owners tended to be at the top of the pyramid, usually a number of places removed from the people carrying out the operations, Mr Grehan said. He is representing Cumali Ozgen, who despite being of the lowest rank on the ship had the most important cabin, and was the only person other than the captain to have unlimited access to wifi. The court heard that his main task seemed to be communicating with Dubai. Mr Ozgen's son had suffered a serious brain injury and he was trying to provide care for him, Mr Grehan said. The Captain, Soheil Jelveh, an Iranian, was in fear for his life and the lives of his family, he told gardaí. The group who commissioned the job on the MV Matthew had helped him bring his family to Dubai and knew where they were, he said. He said he was lured to Dubai by the promise of a better education for his son and a better life for his family. His wife has terminal cancer, his barrister, Michael Bowman, SC, told the court. He had largely retired from being a captain to focus on coaching soccer, through which he met the contacts in Dubai, he said. He had been promised help establishing a football foundation and a new life for his family in the Emirate state. But now, after his arrest, he feared his family would be killed in Dubai. He said in interviews: I don't know if they're alive or not. If I tell you they will kill my family. "They will kill me outside." He had been captain of the MV Matthew in name but followed orders like everyone else, Mr Bowman said. And these very clear orders were being given offshore, by one person in Dubai at least, he said. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk and Vitaliy Vlasoi had fled the war in Odessa and were living in Romania when they were lured to work aboard the MV Matthew, the court heard. They said they were told that the cargo loaded onto the boat was spare parts, but when Mr Gavryk said he became suspicious that this was not the case, he was told he would be paid more money if he "kept his mouth shut." All crew aboard the MV Matthew told gardaí following their arrest that they had flown to Dubai for interviews before travelling on to Curacao to board the vessel. The operation which intercepted the drug operation involved a joint taskforce between gardaí, Revenue, and the defence forces. Communications on encrypted messaging apps Signal and Whatsapp revealed the conversations between the crew on board the MV Matthew as the weather worsened and Irish authorities closed in. Photos of giant white bags being lifted by crane on the boat were shown in the Special Criminal Court at the accused's' sentencing hearing today. Flanked by interpreters, the men looked tense as they waited for the thre- judge Special Criminal Court of Judge Melanie Grealy, Judge Sarah Berkeley, and Judge Grainne Malone, to decide their fate. Military personnel onboard the MV Matthew after a joint sting operation led to the largest cocaine haul in the State. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Det Supt Halley was Senior Investigating Officer for the case and was a detective inspector with the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau at the time. He was also involved with MAOC-N, the multi jurisdiction organisation which monitors maritime traffic to dismantle drug trafficking networks. Prior to the boat being intercepted, authorities had been tracking its course. MAOC-N provided intelligence reports containing suspicions about the MV Matthew while gardaí were also corroborating that intelligence with their own reports that the MV Matthew may be involved in drug trafficking, Det Supt Halley said. Authorities tracked how the actual course and the stated course of the MV Matthew had diverged, since it left the waters off Venezuela, through technology called the AIS – Automatic Identification System. While the MV Matthew was tracking across the Atlantic towards Ireland, Gardaí monitored people in this jurisdiction. Gardaí had monitored Mr Lapa and Mr Harbron in Ireland in the weeks before the smuggling operation, travelling to Castletownbere to buy the fishing trawler the Castlemore and sailing it up the coast. This boat was to be the 'daughter' ship to the MV Matthew's 'mother ship' and was arranging to collect the cocaine consignment from the larger vessel off the Irish coast before it ran aground off Wexford, scuppering the operation, the court has heard. Gardaí also monitored these men communicating with other persons of interest in Ireland, including someone from Dubai, gathering CCTV of communications in petrol stations, at a McDonald's and hotels. Two people Mr Lapa and Mr Harbron were communicating with are still subject to garda investigation. A reason the Castlemore fishing trawler was chosen for the operation was because a Starlink satellite internet service was installed which would allow online communications between people on the boat and off the boat through messaging apps Signal and Whatsapp. The contents of these messaging apps would prove central to the State's case. Messages at the beginning showed the operation appearing to go well. But as the weather worsened, communications between the group became increasingly tense and frayed, with the MV Matthew captain, Soheil Jelveh, threatening to leave. An individual named 'Padre' in messages who was directing operations from off the boat instructed the crew to 'slow down mate' and wait for the 'ETA of big boat'. Messages spoke about 'lowering the food' onto the boat. Positions were shared and multiple attempts were made for the 'mother ship' and 'daughter ship' to meet. 'There will be four jumbo bags, it will be a lot but just go like fuck mate to truck away,' one message from Padre said. Another message said the 'parcel' would comprise of "six big jumbo bags tied together […] total weight 2.2T.' Sentence hearings for the eight men will continue tomorrow. Read More Men behind largest seizure of cocaine in Irish history to be sentenced in June
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
Captain of MV Matthew carrying 2.2 tonnes of cocaine ‘feared for his life'
A retired marine engineer who was captain of the MV Matthew while it was carrying more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine claimed that he feared for his life and his family if he did not follow instructions, a court has heard. Iranian Soheil Jelveh, 51, said there was an element of fear on board the vessel, and admitted he was aware that the consignment on the ship was not 'spare parts'. He said that he was captain in name but he had to follow orders like everyone else. The non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin was told on Tuesday that he was in fear of being killed and that his family, who were in Dubai, would also be killed. The court was also told that a number of the crew were hired by a transnational organised crime group for the operation. Jelveh is one of seven men charged with offences arising from the seizure of 2.25 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated value of more than 157 million euros (£132 million), which was on board the ship the MV Matthew, a Panamanian-registered bulk carrier. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, and Vitaliy Vlasoi, both 32; Iranians 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. Detective Superintendent Keith Halley told the court in Dublin that messages sent to crew members of the MV Matthew told them to consider moving the bags containing drugs on to a lifeboat and then release it into the sea as Irish authorities got closer to the vessel. The court heard that Ozgen, who was described in court by his barrister Brendan Grehan as having a lack of sea experience, was to go into the lifeboat with 22 tonnes of drugs in 'one of the worst storms'. Six men who were arrested on board ignored instructions from the LE William Butler Yeats naval vessel a number of times. Detective Halley, who was a Revenue Customs liaison for Irish police, gave evidence that the authorities received information about a fishing trawler being used to import drugs, which led to the formation of a joint task force between gardai, the Revenue Customs Service and the Irish Naval Service. Jelveh, a father of two, claimed he felt violated by people in the 'head office' who were not present on the vessel, and that there was a threat over him that was not there in relation to his co-accused. Jelveh qualified as a maritime engineer in 1997 and worked as a marine engineer until 2008 and moved through the ranks to became first deck officer. He became captain in 2019. He had since retired and was working as a football coach. Prosecution barrister John Berry SC told the court that the crew had attempted to set the drugs on fire as they attempted to flee Irish authorities and head into the high seas. Messages discovered in a WhatsApp group, called The Deck Officers, revealed how the crew was instructed to be ready to burn the cargo and head towards Sierra Leone if a helicopter tried to intercept the ship. The crew were told to 'make sure everything is burnt' and to use paint thinner to set the cargo alight. They were also ordered by people not on board the vessel not to communicate with Irish authorities. The crew had been ordered by authorities to steer the vessel towards the Irish coast and dock at Cork. The court heard that they were willing to comply with the instructions, however, they were going full steam ahead to the high seas and were planning on travelling to Sierra Leone. The court was told that the crew had been making efforts to deter the arrival of the Army Ranger Wing to allow for the removal of the drugs. Footage and photographs shown to the court revealed there was smoke coming from the lifeboat after an attempt was made to set the drugs alight. Cans of paint, used to set it on fire, were also found on the life raft. Detective Halley also told the court today that the people instructing the crew had 'immense capabilities, unlimited resources and a global reach'. He said it became apparent through the message groups that those who were controlling the vessel and sending instructions on what to do were based in Dubai. They had sent messages instructing the crew to keep going, including reassuring messages like 'just relax and this will all be over soon'. They also gave the wrong information that Irish authorities could not board the vessel. The sentence hearing is taking place before Ms Justice Melanie Grealy Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone. The sentencing hearing continues on Wednesday.
