13 hours ago
MV Matthew €157m cocaine seizure sentencing LIVE as eight men learn their fate
Eight men are today set to be hit with heavy jail terms over one of the biggest drug seizures in Irish history.
The men have pleaded guilty to crewing the boat which crossed the Atlantic with Cartel cocaine on board and bound for the European market.
Members of the Irish Army Rangers wing of the Defence Forces boarded the ship on 26 September 2023 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.
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 24 and 26 September 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.
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 21 and 25 September 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. Today they learn their fate.
Eight men will today be sentenced over the record seizure - it's expected that gardai will release a statement after the sentencing
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The Naval Service is short staffed
The Defence Forces' elite unit will be based in a new €46m headquarters
Sentencing begins today - this is how the story up to now played out
Top Garda's stark warning
