Eight men jailed for involvement in Ireland’s largest drugs haul | OneFootball

Eight men have been jailed over Ireland’s largest drugs seizure, made in 2023 after Irish soldiers dramatically intercepted a fleeing cargo ship.

Six of the ship’s crew and two others received sentences varying in length from 13 and a half years to 20 years in prison for their involvement, totalling 129 years in prison.

The authorities said the prosecutions prove Ireland is not “a soft target” for drug smuggling.

More than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine worth about 157 million euro (£132 million) was found aboard the MV Matthew, after the ship was stormed by Irish troops in September 2023.

The drugs were seized after the Irish Army Ranger Wing boarded the vessel from helicopters in a daring operation conducted while the crew attempted to steer the ship to high seas.

Eight men admitted their roles in trying to smuggle cocaine as part of a massive drug trafficking operation.

Six of the men arrested on board the MV Matthew pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply between September 24 and 26 2023.

Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, 49, who the court heard occupied quarters on the ship ordinarily reserved for senior officers, and who had a “supervisory” role, received a sentence of 20 years.

The second officer, Harold Estoesta, 31, a Filipino national, received a sentence of 18 years.

The court heard that despite strong character references, Estoesta defied navy and customs instructions in a way “unmatched by any other officer”.

The captain of the vessel, Iranian Soheil Jelveh, 51 a married father of two, and who was not on board when the ship was intercepted, received 17 and a half years in prison.

Ukrainian national Vitaliy Vlasoi, 33, received a 16-and-a-half-year sentence and Mykhailo Gavryk, 32, received 14 years.

Saeid Hassani, 40, who was the third officer, received a 15-year sentence.

Two other men, who were on the boat the Castlemore, which had been bought in Castletownbere to collect drugs from the main vessel, were also sentenced for attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply.

Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa, 62, with an address at Rudenka, Repina Str in Berdyansk, received a sentence of 14 and a half years.

Jamie Harbron, 31, of South Avenue, Billingham, Co Durham, in the UK, received a sentence of 13 and a half years in prison.

Ms Justice Melanie Greally said that among the mitigating factors taken into account for sentencing were the men’s families, health conditions, character references from family and schools, and the challenges of serving time in prison away from home, making visits unlikely because of visas and cost.

The judge said that while the men “do not belong to the upper echelons” of the organised crime gang, and did not stand to profit from the sale of the drugs, the “vast quantity” of drugs and the potential harm of the “highly addictive” drug were taken into account as aggravating factors.

She said that apart from Harbron and Ozgen, each man possessed “a high level of sea navigation skills”, and that the transportation of large quantities of drugs at sea cannot take place without that knowledge.

“Seafarers are not cogs, but valuable components of the engine,” which allow drugs to be smuggled across international waters, she said.

She added that the court viewed the defendants, to various degrees, as “committed to the success of the venture”.

The non-jury court heard how the MV Matthew was registered in Panama in August 2023 and was owned by a Dubai-based company.

It left Venezuela in September, giving its destination as Gdansk in Poland.

The two tonnes of cocaine are believed to have been loaded on board the MV Matthew at sea off the coast of Venezuela on September 5, while the crew were “deliberately” distracted.

Although it was a 190-metre cargo ship for transporting bulk products such as grain, the court heard that the drugs cargo on board was akin to “a few matchboxes in a car boot”.

The MV Matthew and the Castlemore were to meet three times near Ireland in late September as part of the drug-smuggling operation.

A group chat was used to co-ordinate the meet-up and to receive instructions from Dubai.

But because of issues with the swell, as well as the smaller vessel’s struggle with slow speed and WiFi, it missed all three rendezvous and ran aground in Co Wexford.

The ship’s captain, Jelveh, who had expressed his unhappiness with the weather conditions, had fallen into disagreement with the contacts ashore.

He was winched off the ship into a lifeboat and taken to Waterford hospital, and then taken into Garda custody on September 26.

As the MV Matthew was travelling up the Irish Sea, it drew the attention of Irish Coast Guard.

The ship’s crew initially said it had changed course to Belfast, and then attempted to drop anchor as it needed to carry out engine repairs over two days, which the court said was “evidently a ruse to buy time”.

In the early hours of September 26, customs told the MV Matthew to return to Cork harbour.

Estoesta, who was in charge of communication, gave the “appearance of compliance”, the court said, but began travelling towards international waters.

The naval ship the LE William Butler Yeats, which had been in monitoring mode, switched to a warship and issued warning shots from a rifle and then a machine gun.

Estoesta radioed to the Irish naval ship and said “we are a commercial vessel, we have families” and that they do not like problems.

“I don’t like problems either. I want you to comply with our instructions and alter your course,” the commander of the Irish naval vessel said.

“Please advise are you in hot pursuit of us?” Estoesta asked, and he was told they were.

The crew were advised by the Dubai group chat that they would find safe harbour in Sierra Leone and to “be confident” because “there is a law preventing them from boarding the ship”.

They were also told by the group to “prepare” to burn the drugs and dispose of their phones.

The Army Ranger Wing arrived by helicopter and chose the fifth cargo bay to land, which was located at front of the vessel.

Attempts were made by the crew to “frustrate” the landing of the soldiers on the boat from ropes dangling from helicopters, and to “facilitate the destruction” of items on board.

The court said the rope was suspended “some distance” from the landing area as Rangers descended, and therefore posed a risk to the Rangers, with “no small amount of courage” needed to execute the manoeuvre.

Smoke coming from a lifeboat on the MV Matthew was seen by the Rangers as they descended and because of their “quick thinking”, the fire was extinguished and the drugs were only partially burned.

They swiftly gained control of the ship without incident and put it on course for Cork.

Detective Superintendent Joe O’Reilly from An Garda Siochana, said the sentences provide a “clear message” that Ireland is “not a soft target” for international organised crime networks.

“To those involved in drug trafficking, the message is clear that the full force of the Irish state, supported by our international partners, is against you,” he told reporters outside the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin.

“The reality facing you is security interdictions, special investigations, the Special Criminal Court, lengthy sentences and asset seizure.

“Transnational organised crime gangs cause misery to communities, not only in Ireland but throughout the world.

“Tackling these gangs not only makes Ireland safer but all the other countries that they operate in as well.”

Detective Superintendent Joe O’Reilly noted the work of the joint task force, which includes An Garda Siochana, the Revenue Customs Service and the Naval Service, supported by other arms of the Irish Defence Forces including the Army Ranger Wing and Air Corps.